The United States has also reported COVID-19 cases less frequently, changing from daily to weekly updates, citing needs to reduce the reporting burden on local areas.
"China is entering the most dangerous weeks of the pandemic," said a research note from Capital Economics. "The authorities are making almost no efforts now to slow the spread of infections and, with the migration ahead of Lunar New Year getting started, any parts of the country not currently in a major COVID wave will be soon."
After years of enforcing stern rules, President Xi Jinping’s abandonment of his signature zero-COVID policy now puts a spotlight on the country's exit plan as Hong Kong plans to re-open China’s border.
"YOU DIDN'T COUNT ME"
China's abrupt easing of restrictions, including the dismantling of widespread mass testing, had confused its citizens and stoked frustrations as cases soared while official numbers remained incomplete.
"You didn't count me when I was positive for COVID and you didn't know when I turned negative. The statistics and reality are too far apart," wrote a user of China's Twitter-like platform after the NHC halted its daily case reporting, adding there has been no need to publish them for quite a while.
The cities of Qingdao and Dongguan have each estimated tens of thousands of daily COVID-19 infections recently, much higher than the national daily toll without asymptomatic cases.
Several models and reports in recent days have forecast as many as 2 million COVID-19 deaths as the virus spreads to rural sections of the country, threatening to hit the most vulnerable elderly population and the unvaccinated.
The country's healthcare system has been under enormous strain, with staff being asked to work while sick and even retired medical workers in rural communities being rehired to help grass-root efforts, according to state media.
Bolstering the urgency is the approach of the Lunar New Year in January, when huge numbers of people return home.
Daily requests to the emergency centre in the eastern city of Hangzhou have recently more than tripled on average from last year's level, state television reported on Sunday, citing a Hangzhou health official.
Suzhou, also in the east, said late on Saturday its emergency line received a record 7,233 calls on Thursday.
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2022-12-25 02:31:00Z
CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9jaGluYXMtbmF0aW9uYWwtaGVhbHRoLWNvbW1pc3Npb24tc3RvcC1wdWJsaXNoaW5nLWRhaWx5LWNvdmlkLTE5LWZpZ3VyZXMtMzE2NzI4MdIBAA
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