China reports almost 60,000 COVID-19-related deaths in a month

China, on Saturday, reported almost 60,000 COVID-19-related deaths in just over a month, the first major toll released by authorities since Beijing loosened virus restrictions in early December.

The country has been widely accused of underreporting the number of coronavirus fatalities since the abandonment of its zero-COVID-19 policy.

Only a few dozen deaths had been recorded officially in December before Saturday’s announcement, despite evidence of crematoriums and hospitals being overrun.

But a National Health Commission official said Saturday that China had recorded 59,938 COVID-19-related deaths between December 8 and January 12.

The figure refers only to deaths at medical facilities, with the total number likely to be higher.

The data includes 5,503 deaths caused by respiratory failure directly due to the virus, and 54,435 deaths caused by underlying conditions combined with Covid, Jiao Yahui, head of the NHC’s Bureau of Medical Administration, told a news conference.

Beijing revised its methodology for categorising COVID-19 fatalities last month, saying it would count only those who die specifically of respiratory failure caused by the virus.

This was criticised by the World Health Organisation, which said the definition was “too narrow”.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation was continuing to “ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalisation and deaths, as well as… viral sequencing”.

Beijing, however, has insisted it has been transparent with the international community about its data, urging the WHO to “uphold a scientific, objective and just position”.