COVID-19 infection rates grow in northern China
The China Project illustration by Derek Zheng
China’s border with Russia has become a new focus of COVID-19 containment for Beijing, as Russia continues to see an increase in its official case numbers, with some spilling over into China. China’s ambassador to Russia has called on his fellow citizens to stay in Russia rather than return home.
“Authorities in China’s northeastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces are implementing additional measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus amid a sustained surge in newly reported local cases,” reports Sixth Tone. Yesterday, the outbreak control and prevention command center in Heilongjiang’s Suifenhe City on the Russian border announced (in Chinese) “bounties of up to 3,000 yuan ($420) for residents offering tips to authorities about people who may have lied about their health conditions, travel histories, or contact with diagnosed patients.”
As reports of delays and missteps in the early day of the pandemic in China continue to emerge, political leaders in Australia, Britain, Germany, and the United States are calling for investigations or greater transparency from Beijing about the origins of the virus.
Meanwhile, Taiwan continues to gain global influence for its successful containment of COVID-19, leading to wider calls for Taiwan to be granted WHO membership. Taiwan is one of several countries led by women that appear to be most competently managing the crisis.
