After Easing Quarantine, Crematorium Crisis... Beijing Statistics Show '0 Deaths'

China Eased Quarantine Early This Month... Citizens Still Anxious
Medicine Shortages and Makeup Supply Crisis on Site

On the 13th, citizens wearing masks are walking in Shanghai, China. Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] It seems that China, which recently eased its quarantine measures, is experiencing considerable confusion. Following a surge in confirmed cases due to the sudden lifting of restrictions, a medical vacuum has emerged, and some regions are even facing a cremation crisis.

Earlier this month, the Chinese government significantly relaxed its COVID-19 quarantine measures. It moved away from the previously maintained high-intensity 'Zero COVID' policy and entered the 'With COVID' phase. The requirement for negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test certificates was abolished, followed by the elimination of the 'quarantine travel permit' system.

However, the sudden lifting of restrictions has also heightened social anxiety. According to official statistics, China has a relatively low cumulative number of COVID-19 infections per capita, and most people have been vaccinated with domestically produced vaccines, which offer lower protection. Many high-risk groups have not even received these vaccines. This is why there are concerns that confirmed cases could surge sharply as the government abruptly changes its quarantine stance.

Academia has analyzed that millions could die under the 'With COVID' approach. According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP), researchers at the University of Hong Kong released a report stating that if China fully implements 'With COVID' without being fully prepared, the death toll could reach one million. The Financial Times (FT) also warned that if China rapidly relaxes quarantine regulations, the healthcare system could collapse due to a major winter outbreak.

On the 13th, a shelf inside a pharmacy in Beijing, the capital of China, is completely empty. Photo by AP Yonhap News

These concerns are becoming reality. According to CNN, because the Chinese government excludes asymptomatic infections from official statistics, the reported daily new confirmed cases remain in the 2,000 range. However, the situation observed locally appears to be far from these statistics. The number of patients showing COVID-19 symptoms and citizens visiting clinics has surged, and shortages of medicines have even appeared.

The BBC analyzed, "Citizens in (China) are flocking to pharmacies and buying medicines indiscriminately," adding, "It seems that citizens, fearing a large-scale infection spread in winter, are panic-buying medicines." It further stated, "Panic buying was a phenomenon witnessed worldwide during the early stages of the pandemic, but now it is also occurring in China, which has eased its quarantine measures."

In the capital Beijing, a cremation crisis has even erupted. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 16th (local time), the Dongjiao Crematorium in eastern Beijing is overwhelmed with bodies, causing an excessive workload. An employee working there told WSJ, "Workload has increased since the easing of quarantine," adding, "We are operating 24 hours a day, but we cannot continue like this indefinitely." This crematorium is known to be designated for handling the bodies of COVID-19 confirmed cases.

Based on employee testimony, WSJ reported that this crematorium has recently been processing about 200 deaths per day. Normally, it handled about 30 to 40 deaths daily, but the number of deaths has surged recently.

However, according to official statistics from Beijing city, there have been no COVID-19 confirmed deaths since November 19-23. WSJ stated that it made inquiries to the National Bureau of Statistics of China and the State Council but did not receive any responses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.