Beijing — A similar tragedy has reignited outrage over China’s draconian “zero-COVID” policy, just weeks after authorities apologized for the death of a three-year-old boy in the western city of Lanzhou, who died because his neighborhood was one of many under coronavirus lockdowns. The boy died because he was unable to receive emergency medical care in time because his neighborhood was one of many under coronavirus lockdowns.
According to Chinese media, a four-year-old girl who was suffering from vomiting and diarrhea in a hotel room where she and her father were under obligatory quarantine in Zhengzhou, central China, died when an ambulance was not dispatched in time. According to the accounts, her father waited 11 hours for assistance as the emergency services dragged their feet in handling his case, and when it eventually arrived, she was brought to a hospital 60 miles away.
Local health authorities have stated that they are conducting an investigation into the incident, which occurred only days after China disclosed some modifications to its tough anti-COVID regulations intended primarily to attract business back to the country. The zero-COVID policy remains in full effect, with the declared objective of rapidly identifying and isolating those who have infected the virus and their close contacts.
The policy revisions include a provision saying that those in quarantine zones should not be denied access to emergency medical care.
China imposes a new set of COVID restrictions and regulations at 2:59
While the most recent example has sparked outrage, reaction on China’s closely regulated social media sites has been mixed. Without the zero-COVID policy, the hospital would be overrun with patients and more people would suffer, according to a widely circulated tweet on the Twitter-like platform Weibo.
Other users, however, disagreed, with one noting that while a positive COVID test does not often indicate a death sentence, deferring medical care from an ill child can — and in at least two cases has — led to the child’s death.
One user remarked that despite the fact that the Chinese hashtag for “girl denied medical aid and died” had been viewed 180 million times, it did not appear in the “trending” column, indicating that the authorities may have attempted to suppress the topic.
14 November 2022, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. A barricade obstructs the controlled management area to limit the COVID-19 epidemic. VCG/VCG/Getty
Despite the stringent efforts, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased to 23,132 as of Thursday, tripling in less than a week to reach the biggest national caseload reported by China in seven months.
The Chinese government’s answer to the increasing number of cases appears to be the addition of more quarantine beds.
Thursday, authorities in the city of Guangzhou announced plans to construct about 250,000 extra beds in quarantine facilities in an effort to curb the spike in cases. The national health commission has generally supported regional efforts to expand quarantine capacities.
Since early November, sections of the enormous city have been subject to piecemeal lockdowns, causing residents to lose patience. This week, unverified social media images purported to show irate crowds in Guangzhou tearing down gates surrounding specialized areas. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been routine practice in China to fence off communities designated “risky” for the spread of the virus.
The fact that none of the over 30,000 documented COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou have been serious has been widely reported, prompting individuals to question the necessity of the enforced quarantines. One comment beneath an article on the topic states, “The virus is not frightening, but stupidity is.”