蜜芽传媒

Though appearing to be a vehicle for many frustrations amongst the Chinese population, the direct cause of the demonstrations in China is opposition to the country's tough coronavirus controls.聽聽聽聽

China remains the only major economy with a strict zero-Covid policy.聽

Local authorities have been clamping down on small Covid outbreaks with strict lockdowns, mass testing campaigns, and lengthy quarantines.聽

So what are the statistics and science on Covid in China?

Ben Cowling is professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong.

"Overall vaccine coverage in China with inactivated vaccines is 90% nationwide. The inactivated vaccines are very good at preventing severe disease but there's a gap in [uptake by] their elderly."

"There's a lot of momentum behind the zero-Covid strategy, which has been very successful in the past three years... I think there's a reluctance to change direction."

(Photo: Women in protective suits ride an electric scooter on a street, amid lockdown measures in parts of Shanghai to curb the coronavirus disease. Credit: Reuters/Aly Song)

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