This winter, according to a senior Chinese health official, China is witnessing the first of three projected waves of Covid infections.
Since the removal of the strictest restrictions earlier this month, there has been an increase in the number of instances.
The most recent official statistics indicate a relatively low number of new cases per day.
Concerns exist, however, that these numbers are understated because of a recent decrease in Covid testing.
On Sunday, the authorities reported only 2,097 new daily cases.
Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou expects the present surge in infections will continue until mid-January, after which the second wave would be caused by mass travel during the week-long Lunar New Year celebrations beginning on January 21.
Typically, millions of individuals travel throughout the holiday season to spend time with their families.
Dr. Wu predicted that the third increase in instances would occur between late February and mid-March as people returned to work following the break.
Saturday, he told a conference that existing vaccination rates offered some protection against the outbreaks and had led to a decline in the number of severe cases.
China reports that more than 90 percent of its population is properly vaccinated. However, fewer than half of those aged 80 and older had gotten all three vaccine doses. The elderly are more likely to experience severe Covid symptoms.
China has created and manufactured its vaccinations, which have been proven to be less efficient at preventing Covid-related sickness and mortality than the mRNA vaccines used in the majority of the globe.
Dr. Wu’s remarks came after a prominent US research institute warned earlier this week that it anticipated China could see over a million deaths from Covid in 2023 because of an exploding case rate.
Since December 7, when limits were eased in response to large protests over its zero-Covid policy, the government has not publicly reported any Covid deaths. This includes the cessation of mass testing.
However, there are anecdotal accounts of Covid-related deaths in Beijing.
There and in other locations, hospitals are straining to accommodate an influx of patients, which has also severely impacted postal and catering services.
As cases increase, Shanghai, the largest city in China, has mandated that the majority of its schools conduct classes online.
