COVID-19 Deaths in China Reach 13,000 from 13th to 19th

Doubts About Transparency Considering Sharp Increase in Funeral Expenses
Health Experts Predict "Over 1 Million Deaths This Year"

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] The Chinese government announced on the 22nd that the number of COVID-19 related deaths in hospitals between the 13th and 19th of this month was approximately 13,000.

Major foreign media outlets pointed out that this death toll, updated by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, came amid growing skepticism about the transparency of data from Chinese authorities and still remains very low compared to global standards.

They also mentioned that official documents show increased spending on various funeral-related items, from body bags to crematoriums, at many funeral homes across various regions in China, which is one of several signs of the deadly impact of COVID-19 in China.

On the 2nd, when the government reinstated the mandatory COVID-19 PCR testing for arrivals from China, quarantine officials at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 were providing testing guidance to arrivals from China in the arrival hall. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Previously, Chinese authorities reported that from December 8 of last year, when they announced the easing of quarantine measures, until the 12th of this month, the cumulative number of COVID-19 related deaths in hospitals nationwide was about 60,000. The death toll reported by Chinese authorities excludes cases of deaths at home or elsewhere.

In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that China still does not transparently disclose the number of deaths. Some health experts predict that over 1 million people in China will die from COVID-19 this year.

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