COVID Cases Rise in China as Vax Rate Increases

Countries with low vaccine rates have fewer coronavirus infections.

China is reporting a spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths, prompting authorities in the eastern nation to reinstate harsh lockdowns.
China’s National Health Commission on Monday reported 26,824 new infections—the highest daily number since mid-April and the sixth consecutive day over 20,000—along with two deaths of COVID patients in Beijing occurring on Saturday, following the death of an 87-year-old man in the city on Saturday.
Beijing alone reported 962 new infections as of Sunday and will shut down businesses and schools and even restrict movement into the city. One local, Jia Xi, said of the city, “You can’t go anywhere. Everything’s closed. Customers cannot come either. What can you do? You can do nothing.”
The rise in coronavirus cases and deaths comes as China boasts a more than 90% vaccination rate among its citizens. 90.1% of China’s population is considered “fully” vaccinated and 92.4% have received at least one dose, according to Google data.
The United States also saw nearly 10,000 more infections this past week in its 7-day average compared to October, despite more than 80% of the population receiving at least one vaccine dose and nearly 69% being fully vaccinated.
Rising COVID infection rates amid rising vaccination rates calls into question the vaccine’s efficacy.

Ghana has a very low vaccination rate, less than 29% of its population being fully vaccinated, yet the country reported only 24 new infections on Sunday.
Only 4% of the Democratic Republic of Congo is fully vaccinated, but the nation boasts a 7-day average of only 53 infections.
Only 0.2% of Burundi is vaccinated, yet the country reported zero COVID infections Sunday.
Less than 5% of Cameroon is fully vaccinated, and the country reported no new infections as of the same day.
Madagascar is 6.4% fully vaccinated and also enjoyed zero new cases this weekend.
Senegal is only 7.3% fully vaccinated with zero new cases.
Mali: less than 11% fully vaccinated, no new cases.
Sudan: 16.1% fully vaccinated, no new cases.
Chad: 21.4% fully vaccinated, no new cases.
Malawi: 15.7% fully vaccinated, no new cases.

China is implementing its so-called “zero-Covid” policy, a controversial strategy that has seen millions locked down and citizens who have tested positive for the virus forcibly quarantined, BBC reports.
Chinese citizens are also facing delayed emergency treatment from their government for seriously ill people in locked-down areas or quarantine facilities, including one baby who died because her medical care had been delayed by the restrictions.
Earlier this month, there were “angry demonstrations in the western city of Lanzhou after a father said delays in getting his toddler son to hospital had contributed to his death from carbon monoxide poisoning,” according to BBC. “Then in October, there were reports of a 14-year-old girl dying in Henan Province after falling ill in a Covid quarantine centre.”