China announces first Covid death in 6 months
BEIJING: China reported its first Covid-19 death on Sunday in nearly six months as authorities imposed new restrictions in Beijing, moved schools online, shut down offices and restaurants in the city’s most populous district, Chaoyang, and again urged residents to avoid going out unless necessary.
Overall, China reported 24,435 new Covid-19 infections for November 19, the national health commission (NHC) said on Sunday, down by a few from 24,473 a day earlier. Beijing reported 516 new infections until 3pm on Sunday, low by global standards but a number high enough for city authorities to impose restrictions without declaring a lockdown as it continues to implement the “zerocovid” policy. For Saturday, Beijing reported 621 new Covid-19 cases with 122 identified outside quarantine zones through community level test screening.
The death of a 87-year-old man from Covid-19 in a Beijing hospital fuelled fears of more restrictions being imposed with the city logging a record number of cases almost daily.
The new death brought the total death toll in China to 5,227.
The 87-year-old died of sepsis triggered by a serious lung infection on Saturday, CCTV news reported, adding that the man was reportedly suffering from dry cough symptoms on November 11 and was confirmed as Covid-19 positive two days later. “According to statistics released by the national health commission, it has been more than six months since China reported its last two Covid-19 deaths in Shanghai,” the Global Times reported.