A top official said on Monday (9 January) that nearly 90% of the people in China's third most populous province have been infected with COVID-19, as the country faces an unprecedented surge in cases.
Kan Quancheng, director of the health commission for central Henan province, told a press conference that "as of January 6th, 2023, the province's COVID-19 infection rate is 89.0 %"
Photo via BBC
With a population of 99.4 million, the figures indicate that approximately 88.5 million people in Henan are now infected.
Fever clinic visits peaked on December 19th, according to Kan, "followed by a continuous downward trend."
Following its decision last month to lift years of lockdowns, quarantines, and mass testing that had hammered its economy and sparked infrequent nationwide protests, China is now dealing with an increase in cases.
Beijing, which is adamant about moving forward with its reopening, lifted the quarantine requirement for all foreign arrivals on Sunday and opened its border with Hong Kong.
