china

That appeal comes after the Chinese government announced nearly 60,000 virus-related deaths since early December following weeks of complaints it was failing to tell the world what was happening.

Low fertility rates in the wake of China's former one-child policy and lockdowns related to the COVID pandemic have contributed to the country's shrinking population.

It would make more sense to screen a plane's wastewater to look for new variants than to screen individual passenger volunteers, some researchers say. Others say any information is helpful.

The popular Sina Weibo social media platform said it had addressed 12,854 violations including attacks on experts, scholars and medical workers and issued temporary or permanent bans on 1,120 accounts.

The crush of people seeking hospital care follows China abandonment of its most severe pandemic restrictions last month after nearly three years of lockdowns, travels bans and school closures.

The Chinese government has sharply criticized COVID-19 testing requirements being imposed on visitors from China and threatening countermeasures against countries involved.

The U.S., Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Italy have announced testing requirements for passengers from China.

In announcing the step, the CDC pointed to the surge in COVID-19 cases in China. The measure will go into effect on Jan. 5 for all passengers over the age of 2.

As China lifts its stringent zero-COVID policy, public health messaging has taken a U-turn. People are grappling with the whiplash, trying to find a way to protect themselves and loved ones.

China says it will stop reporting asymptomatic cases since they’ve become “impossible” to track with mass testing no longer required. That's another step in the country’s uncertain exit from some of the world’s strictest antivirus policies.