Sunday, April 3, 2022

New covi strain found in Suzhou, the world's first, Shanghai covid storm

 Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News on disease control, CCP, aviation management, aviation disaster

News (1) to (2) / Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor: Fan Ming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/04/03/a103390694.html 

News (1)

Covi mutates again, new strain found in Suzhou, the world's first case

Image : On 2 April 2022, Suzhou announced the discovery of a new mutant strain of Omicron covi, the first case in the world. (pixabay.com)



Covi (synonym for SARS-CoV-2, CCP virus, novel coronavirus and Wuhan virus) has mutated again. Suzhou, Jiangsu Province recently reported that a new mutated strain of Omicron was discovered, which is the first case in the world.

According to a CCTV news report, at the Suzhou Epidemic Press Conference on 2 April 2022, the Suzhou CDC informed that a mild confirmed covid-positive case was found in Changshu City, Suzhou on 28 March 2022 and the Variant Of Concern (VOC) strain is evolved from Omicron variant BA.1.1 (Covi29 BA.1.1).

According to the report, this is the latest new variant of Omicron, and no highly homologous genome sequences have been found in the local and imported case databases and the global covi GISAlD database.

Currently, Omicron is spreading widely in CCP China. According to official reports, the epidemic has spread to 29 provinces, of which Jilin Province and Shanghai are particularly serious, and the number of confirmed cases in Shanghai is still growing rapidly.


News (2)

Kunshan of Suzhou locked down

At night of 1 April, the city of Kunshan, Suzhou, which is close to Shanghai, suddenly announced the implementation of "check-in" management, high-speed and shipping control for all villages and communities. A large number of off-duty citizens and vehicles were blocked on the road.

As the authorities suddenly closed the city in the middle of the night, a large number of citizens who got off work late were blocked on the road. Someone left a message, "Suzhou, Jiangsu, and Kunshan were suddenly closed. Many people in Kunshan only get off work at eight or nine o'clock, and they can't go home!"

Kunshan issued a notice on epidemic prevention and control on  2 April, adding new lockdown and control areas and control areas and implementing corresponding control measures from now on. The closed control area implements regional closure and does not stay at home; the control area implements that people do not leave the area, and gatherings are strictly prohibited.

Mr. Li, a staff member of Hengcao Community in Kunshan, told NTDTV that Kunshan has been locked down.

He said, "Kunshan is now completely locked down. The entire Kunshan is sealed, and there is no way to enter or leave Kunshan. It starts today and ends on 6 April 2022. The town and the towns in between are also locked down."

News (3)

Suzhou surprises the world with new covi mutant strain that has no precedence in global databases


Covi is raging in mainland China, and the epidemic continues to spread in many provinces and cities. According to CCP media reports, the Suzhou government announced the discovery of a new variant of Omicron in Changshu City, which is different from the known virus strains in the world. Some experts said that the epidemic has been burning for more than a month, and it is normal for mutations to occur, and they appeal to the public not to panic.

According to the Global Times report, Suzhou held a press conference in the afternoon of 2 April 2022 to explain the city's epidemic situation, saying that a light confirmed case was found in Changshu City on 28 March. After comparison, the virus is an evolutionary branch of the VOC/Omicron variant strain BA.1.1, and no highly homologous sequences were found in the local and inbound case databases, and the global covi GISAlD database.
 
The Suzhou CDC pointed out that in order to eliminate risks as soon as possible and cut off the chain of transmission, Suzhou has carried out epidemiological investigation and gene sequencing on each case as soon as possible and urged, "We call on the general public not to spread or create rumors, trust and support the epidemic prevention work."
 
According to the "Science & Technology Daily" report, some experts pointed out that the local epidemic has continued for more than a month. According to the mutation rate of the new coronavirus, it is normal to have about 2 mutations. It is not that a new branch will become a powerful mutant strain. Only viruses that are more "adapted" can survive, and even if they survive, they may not become mainstream strains. Experts pointed out that a large number of branches will "self-destruct" in the process of the epidemic, and even if new branches appear, the public does not need to panic too much.


News (4) to (10) / Editor : Su Yiyu / https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2022/04-02/9718632.shtml

News (4)

There are nearly 10,000 local infections in mainland China, experts say that the scale of the epidemic in Shanghai is larger than that in Wuhan

China's National Health Commission announced on 2 April 2022 that there were 2,129 new confirmed cases in mainland China on the 1st, including 43 imported cases and 2,086 local cases. There were 7,869 new asymptomatic infections, of which 80 were imported from abroad and 7,789 were local.

As of 12 am of 2 April, there are 27,128 confirmed cases in mainland China, 4,638 deaths, and 153,232 confirmed cases. There are currently 661 confirmed cases imported from abroad, with a total of 17,553 confirmed cases and no deaths.

News (5)

Nearly 10,000 local infections in mainland China, 63 high-risk areas

On April 1, there were nearly 10,000 new local infections (confirmed cases + asymptomatic people) in mainland China (9,875 cases), the highest this year. Among them, 2,086 cases were confirmed, and after 2,010 new cases were added on March 23, it exceeded 2,000 cases again. There were 7,789 new cases of local asymptomatic infections, setting a new high for the number of local asymptomatic infections in mainland China.

More than 90% of the new local infections that day were still concentrated in Jilin Province and Shanghai. The confirmed cases are distributed in 18 provinces, including 1,730 in Jilin and 260 in Shanghai. This was followed by 21 cases in Heilongjiang, 14 in Zhejiang, 13 in Fujian, 12 in Jiangsu, 8 each in Shandong and Hainan, and 10 provinces with fewer than 5 new cases.

The newly added local asymptomatic infections that day involved 20 provinces, including 6,051 cases in Shanghai and 1,244 cases in Jilin. There are 68 new cases in Fujian, 66 in Hebei, 55 in Anhui, 54 in Jiangsu and 52 in Liaoning with more than 50 new cases.

According to the State Council's epidemic risk level inquiry applet, as of 14:00 on the 2nd, there are 473 medium and high risk areas in mainland China. Among them, 63 are high-risk areas, distributed in 9 provinces and cities: Fujian (24), Shandong and Jiangsu (9), Tianjin (7), Jilin (6), Heilongjiang (3), Liaoning and Hebei ( 2), Gansu (1). There are 410 medium-risk areas, located in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jilin, Inner Mongolia and other provinces.


Image :  On 2 April, an aerial photo was taken of the temporary centralized isolation and treatment point under construction on Hangcheng Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Photo by China News Agency reporter Yin Liqin

Experts say that the scale of the epidemic in Shanghai is larger than that in Wuhan, and the official analysis of why the epidemic in Changchun continues to rise

On 1 April, Shanghai added 260 new local confirmed cases and 6,051 asymptomatic infections, and the number of local infections continued to rise day by day. From 1 March to 1 April 2022, Shanghai has reported more than 40,000 local infections.

The Shanghai Municipal Health Commission said on 2 April that the number of positive infections in the city has increased compared with the previous two days, because the screening scope is wider. As of 12 am on 2 April, more than 14 million people had been sampled for the first nucleic acid test in Shanghai's second batch of Puxi areas. At present, the epidemic situation in Shanghai is severe and complex, and the task of prevention and control is extremely arduous. The first batch of sealing and screening areas will be controlled in a step-by-step manner based on the screening results.

Chen Erzhen, the head of the medical treatment team at the centralized isolation point in Shanghai and the vice president of Ruijin Hospital, said in an interview with the media that compared with the Wuhan epidemic that year, Shanghai is better in preparation and experience. The scale of the epidemic in Shanghai is larger than that in Wuhan but the severity of the disease is lower than that in Wuhan.

As of 1 April 2022, Jilin Province has reported more than 47,000 local infections in this round of the epidemic. Among them, Changchun "came from behind", surpassing Jilin City, which had the most severe epidemic before, and became the area with the most confirmed cases in mainland China in this round of epidemic.

The Jilin Provincial Health and Health Commission said on the 2nd that the recent increase in the epidemic situation in Changchun City is related to the occurrence of clustered epidemics in public places such as farmers markets and construction sites in the city and caused community infections. It is necessary to quickly reverse the development trend of the epidemic. The epidemic situation in Jilin City and Changchun Jiutai District has been effectively contained but it is still necessary to stabilize the results of epidemic prevention and control and reduce the number of new infections every day.

News (6)

Infections imported from other places appeared in many places in Shandong, and some areas in Quanzhou lifted the control

As one of the key provinces in the current round of the epidemic in mainland China, the epidemic in Shandong has been effectively controlled, but it has rebounded slightly recently. On April 1, the province added 8 local confirmed cases and 27 asymptomatic infections. As of 24:00 on the 1st, there were 478 local confirmed cases and 2,142 local asymptomatic infections in Shandong Province.

The Shandong provincial official said on 2 April 2022 that recently, affected by the epidemic situation in some domestic provinces and cities, infected people were found in many places in Shandong during follow-up testing of returnees from other provinces and cities, and local related cases appeared in some areas. In this regard, all parts of Shandong have taken immediate measures to carry out nucleic acid testing, flow tracing, and isolation and transfer to quickly cut off the chain of transmission and control the epidemic to a minimum in the shortest possible time.

News (7)

Situation of covid epidemic in Fujian on 2 April 2022

As of 4 pm on 2 April 2, Fujian Province has reported a total of 1,155 local confirmed cases (including 1,044 in Quanzhou) and 2,096 asymptomatic infections (including 2,021 in Quanzhou).

As the main source of the current round of epidemic cases in Fujian Province, since 28 March 2022, the new local infected people of Quanzhou were mainly screened from centralized isolation places and closed control areas. The overall situation of epidemic prevention and control is improving, and some areas Unblock.

News (8)

Situation of covid epidemic in Hebei on 1 April 2022

On 1 April, Hebei Province added 2 local confirmed cases and 66 asymptomatic infections. As of 24:00 on the 1st, Hebei Province has 232 confirmed local cases and 2,373 local asymptomatic infections still under medical observation.

Langfang is the key area of ​​this round of epidemic in Hebei Province. On 1 April, Langfang reported 5 new cases of local asymptomatic infections, and zero new local confirmed cases. The Langfang official said on the 2nd that the overall situation of the epidemic in the city is stable and improving but the pressure of strict prevention of rebound in risk areas is still great.

News (9)

2 confirmed cases in Baoding, Hebei

Hebei reported 2 new local confirmed cases on 1 April in the city of Baoding. The six districts and counties (cities) under the jurisdiction of Baoding have successively issued announcements to implement global closure and control management and carried out nucleic acid testing for all employees.

News (10)

Covid outbreaks in 11 cities of Zhejiang

The Zhejiang Provincial Health and Health Commission reported on the 2nd that the province's new cases on the 1st involved 11 cities, including 14 local confirmed cases and 14 asymptomatic infections.

According to reports, more than 90% of the epidemic in Zhejiang Province was imported from outside the province, and the number of infected people in the vast majority of the epidemic was controlled below 5, indicating that the investigation and control of people returning from key areas of the epidemic is effective. Preventing imported cases from outside the province is the top priority of Zhejiang's current epidemic prevention and control. (over)

News (11)

Large-scale elderly care home in Shanghai bursts with cluster infection, and patients die

Reporter : Zhu Ying / Editor : Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/04/02/a103390412.html / Image : On 27 February 2020, a medical staff wearing protective clothing is working in a fever clinic of a hospital in Shanghai. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)


Shanghai has been locked down due to the outbreak of the Omicron (Covi29) epidemic but the official has not released the number of deaths due to the epidemic. A number of patients have died at a large aged-care hospital that was locked down three weeks ago after a cluster of infections broke out.

According to the British BBC Chinese website, a nurse at Shanghai Donghai Aged Care Hospital, one of the largest of its kind in Shanghai, revealed that the first batch of covi infections was detected three weeks ago. The hospital has been "closed" since then.

Officials in Shanghai have not reported any deaths of infected people since the latest round of the outbreak but a paramedic who was recruited to work at the hospital last week told the BBC she had seen one patient die and had heard of a colleague handling another who died.

The nurse disclosed that she worked and slept in the hospital. A colleague told her the situation was "getting worse" with "new cases every day".

The nurse said hundreds of people in their hospital had been infected, even medical staff and experts sent by the Shanghai government.

"At first, we were just doing business as usual, but then they started locking down the wards and the leadership told us that it was much worse," she said.

Another paramedic also told the BBC that she saw "pretty poor hygiene" when she came to work at the hospital.

The report said the case reflects the severity of the epidemic in Shanghai and shows that Shanghai's medical system is struggling to cope with the growing demand.

Shanghai is China's largest city with a population of nearly 25 million. A partition block was announced a few days ago to prevent the spread of Covi29 (for Omicron variant / B.1.1.529).

Halfway through a planned nine-day city-wide lockdown, Pudong was originally scheduled to reopen on 1 April but strict restrictions are still in place after that, and delays in some test results mean small areas and millions of people are still under lockdown.

In fact, due to the sudden announcement of new control measures by the government, the entire city was locked down in disguise, resulting in chaos in the life of the city's residents. Not only food and vegetables, but also medicines to treat other diseases are in short supply. As the medical system was overwhelmed and medical resources were severely squeezed by the epidemic prevention and control, there were already many asthma patients or patients in need of kidney dialysis who were unable to seek medical treatment in time due to epidemic prevention measures, resulting in death.

On 30 March, on the Chinese online social media Weibo, a nurse who claimed to be working in the Shanghai Huangpu District Mental Health Branch posted a message asking for help. She bluntly said, "We have nowhere to go."

According to the nurse's revelations, now the entire hospital of the Huangpu District Mental Health Sub-center has been closed, and all staff have been banned. The nurses did not know the overall situation of the hospital but more than 20 patients in one ward of the hospital tested positive, and many nurses and patients in the hospital had fever, even "the thermometer could not detect it". 

The nurse also disclosed a detail: The nurse who was locked in the hospital did not even have sanitary supplies during her menstrual period but the hospital asked the nurse to solve it by herself. As early as 18 March, a doorman tested positive but the dean concealed it and did not report it. Later, it was found that the patient tested positive. "The dean did not inform everyone, and let the medical staff enter the ward without protection."  The nurse finally appealed in the post, "Who can help us, we are desperate."

At present, a large number of Shanghai netizens complained about the lack of food and medicine on Weibo.

Some netizens said that in the past 10 days, they have only ordered takeout for one meal a day, but since 29 March, they have not even been able to order takeout. There are a few packs of instant noodles left at home, and they do not know how many days they can last. There are also netizens who live in a family of five. In the hut, the old father suffered from high blood pressure and chronic diseases and tested "abnormal". He avoided the infection of the old mother and the child, and had slept by the stairs for 3 days.

News (12) to (13) / Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor : Wang Anping 

News (12)

Sun Chunlan rushed to Shanghai to convey the central government's tough orders

https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/04/03/a103390734.html / Image : On 2 April 2022, Shanghai epidemic prevention personnel disinfected in Jing'an District. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan of the Communist Party of China rushed to Shanghai on 2 April 2022 to investigate the epidemic prevention and control work, and conveyed a tough order from the central government, demanding that the "zero-covid" policy be "unshakable". On the same day, a telephone recording of a female leader of the Shanghai CDC was exposed, causing heated discussions. She revealed that the authorities regard epidemic prevention as a political task, and the extreme lockdown has caused serious secondary disasters, and professionals are powerless to do anything about it.

After the closure of Pudong and Puxi in Shanghai, chaos erupted, prices skyrocketed, the medical system collapsed, and emergency and critically ill patients could not be treated in time, causing public grievances. Sun Chunlan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, rushed to Shanghai in the morning of 2 April to supervise the epidemic prevention and control work.

According to a report by the official Xinhua News Agency late at night on 2 April, Sun Chunlan conveyed an order from the central government on this trip, asking the Shanghai authorities to adhere to the general policy of "dynamic clearing" without hesitation or wavering. Sun Chunlan exchanged views with the officials of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and the municipal government. Li Qiang, Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, attended the event.

On the day Sun Chunlan arrived in Shanghai, a phone recording of a female leader of the Shanghai Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was exposed on the Internet, sparking heated discussions.

When responding to a public consultation, the female leader revealed that the information on the Shanghai epidemic was falsified. Citizens tested positive, but what they saw on the official "health cloud" was negative, and the CDC privately called the infected person to quarantine.

She also said that the current closure and control measures have caused serious secondary disasters, Shanghai's medical system is on the verge of collapse, and the conditions of makeshift hospitals and isolation centers are poor. As a professional, she has repeatedly proposed not to transfer asymptomatic and mild symptoms to isolation, which would take up medical resources, but the authorities did not listen at all. "We all feel utter despair, you know, we are exhausted by what we do as professionals." (click to watch video)

After the recording was exposed, the Shanghai CDC urgently issued a document on 2 April, requiring a designated person to answer public consultation calls, and the answer must be consistent with the authorities' epidemic prevention policy.

Image : Web Screenshot

The above-mentioned telephone recording of the female leader of the CDC reflects a consensus of the Chinese medical community on the direction of epidemic prevention.

On 2 April, Cai Xia, a retired professor of the Communist Party of China, reposted a video on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LQ0068/status/1509382957320097792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1509933541857107971%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ntdtv.com%2Fgb%2F2022%2F04%2F03%2Fa103390734.html. It was a video of a speech by Shanghai epidemic prevention expert Zhang Wenhong on "coexistence with the virus". The exact time and place are unknown.

Zhang Wenhong said that if there is a complete lockdown and everyone stays at home, the epidemic can indeed be stopped but how many people will die. Because without circulation, there would be no economy, people would lose their jobs and rebel, which would bring huge social problems.

Zhang Wenhong clearly stated that the virus cannot be eliminated in the short term, so how to coexist with the virus is a matter of wisdom of leaders and decision-makers. "It's beyond my scope as a doctor, but I'm willing to make it clear to you."

Another screenshot of Twitter shows that Shanghai's original epidemic prevention strategy was very clear. Asymptomatic and mild symptoms only need to be isolated at home, and severe cases only go to designated hospitals. Zhang Wenhong once said at a press conference that this is the most scientific set of diagnosis and treatment manuals but maybe after only one day of execution, you will encounter pressure and you will not be able to execute it.

The screenshot shows that Dr. Zhang Wenhong had long wanted to promote that the mortality rate of Omicron was lower than that of a cold but it was deleted.

Image : Twitter screenshot

In fact, Zhang Wenhong put forward the idea of ​​"coexisting with the virus" last year, but it was suppressed by the authorities. After that, he advocated a "precise prevention and control" strategy in Shanghai, hoping that epidemic prevention would not affect Shanghai's economy and people's livelihood as much as possible.

On 23 March, Zhang Wenhong posted a long article on Weibo, saying, "We can't hold the mentality of killing the virus if we can't do it. We must not only control the epidemic, but also protect the lives of residents, keep the medical treatment channel unblocked, and at the same time also guarantee the survival of private small and micro enterprises. These will be the focus of Shanghai in the next stage of the fight against the epidemic.”

However, under the implementation of the "zero-covid" policy across the country, Shanghai could not survive on its own, and was eventually forced to follow the old road of locking down the city and clearing it. Zhang Wenhong also did not appear at the press conference on the epidemic for several days.

News (13)

Shanghai's epidemic prevention set off a storm of anti-Xi Jinping, Xi Jinping took the opportunity to deal with the Shanghai Gang?


Shanghai has been declaring "no closure of the city" to the sudden implementation of a semi-closed city and a progressive city closure, which has aroused public attention. Experts analyzed that the sudden change in Shanghai's epidemic prevention policy involves the CCP's power struggle. Jiang faction took advantage of the Shanghai epidemic to set off a storm of anti-Xi, while Xi Jinping took the opportunity to deal with the Shanghai Gang.

The chaos of the epidemic in Shanghai is particularly eye-catching, because Shanghai is not only the financial center and foreign trade center of the mainland, but also the political highland of the CCP. With the exception of Chen Liangyu, almost all the top leaders in Shanghai are the best candidates for the Politburo Standing Committee.

Today, Li Qiang, the secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee who is the most popular in the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, is casting a shadow on his career due to the Shanghai epidemic.

On 27 March, Shanghai suddenly announced the implementation of a zoning blockade, but after Puxi is locked down on 1 April, Pudong, which was to be unblocked, continued to block and control, and the lockdown of Shanghai became an established fact. However, the Shanghai authorities did not say it was a city lockdown, claiming that it was "global static management".


Image : On 31 March 2022, the scene of closure and control in Jing'an District, Shanghai. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

At the same time, Zhang Wenhong, the leader of the Shanghai Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Medical Treatment Expert Team, who has been advocating precise prevention and control and "coexistence with the virus", suddenly "disappeared" and was replaced by a government official -- Wu Jinglei, Director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission. He also has a new title: "Head of the Medical Treatment Team of the Shanghai Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading Group".

Dr. Yang Jingduan, an expert in integrative medicine in Pennsylvania, USA, who is proficient in traditional Chinese and Western medicine, told Radio Free Asia, "We don't know why Zhang Wenhong is not coming out now, and he has been replaced. People, these methods are obviously more political than epidemic prevention."

Dr. Lin Xiaoxu, a virology expert and former director of the laboratory of the Department of Virology at the U.S. Army Research Institute, said that the prevention and control ideas proposed by Zhang Wenhong were actually a consensus after communicating with international experts, but many things in China are politically in command, and the Shanghai epidemic prevention route involves power struggle within the party.

Lin Xiaoxu believes, "If Shanghai's epidemic prevention really hits China's economy very hard, different factions in the CCP will use this as an excuse to criticize the wiseness of the zero-clearing policy, and it will further develop into a more intense party within the party. Factionalism increases the risk of Xi Jinping's re-election."

In addition, he analyzed that Xi Jinping's forced implementation of dynamic clearing in Shanghai may be to take this opportunity to attack the Shanghai Gang, "because Shanghai is also the base of another faction that does not listen to the central government to a certain extent."

Regarding Shanghai's epidemic prevention and chaos involving the CCP's power struggle, current affairs commentator He Ping wrote in The Epoch Times that Xi Jinping's zero-clearing policy has long been criticized at home and abroad, and the damage to China's economy has been very serious. The anti-Xi camp has attacked Xi Jinping with heavy artillery in the past two years.

The article said that in fact, after the government's zero-covid policy reached a dead end, it released a signal of loosening.

So why did Shanghai's epidemic prevention policy suddenly turn left overnight, which was unsatisfactory? The article believes that this has a lot to do with the remnants of the Jiang faction of the Shanghai Gang. Shanghai is Jiang Zemin’s hometown. Han Zheng, the current standing committee member of Jiang’s horse, has been operating in Shanghai from 2002 until the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017, while Xi Jinping’s cronie Li Qiang has only been in charge of Shanghai for 5 years. Horses are the majority.


After the outbreak of the epidemic in Shanghai, the central inspection team entered Shanghai on 22 March and held discussions with officials such as Li Qiang. On 30 March, the Shanghai Municipal Government stated that it would resolutely implement the central government's "zero-covid" policy.

He Ping, a current affairs commentator, believes that Li Qiang's move is not to show his loyalty to Xi Jinping, but to change his political strategy. He must openly form an offensive and defensive alliance with Xi Jinping, and cannot be confused by the Jiang faction.

News (14)

Sun Chunlan's epidemic prevention and control whereabouts are strange

Report by : Zhou Xiaohui / Editors : Liu Mingxiang, Wang Anping / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/04/02/a103390427.html / Image : Infighting within the CCP has reached a fever pitch. (Feng Li/Getty Images)



Looking at the national epidemic map recently, apart from Jilin Province, the most serious epidemic is Shanghai. According to the official data released by Jilin Province on 30 March, on March 29, there were 1,150 new local confirmed cases in the province (1,144 mild cases, 3 ordinary cases, and 3 severe cases), with a total of more than 20,000 cases. On the same day, the official data released by Shanghai was: 326 new local confirmed cases and 5,656 asymptomatic infections were added in Shanghai, with a total of more than 20,000 cases. However, judging from the situation exposed by the people in Shanghai, there are more infected people. Obviously, the worst situation in Shanghai has not come.

In the face of such a serious epidemic, the highest level of the CCP still requires all localities to continue to achieve the goal of "zero-covid". At present, Changchun, Jilin Province has been locked down for 20 days and will continue to be closed until 6 April while Shanghai does not seem to fully agree with the spirit of the instructions of the highest level in Beijing, and only adopts a policy of semi-closing the city and closing the city for 4 days. Even so, Shanghai still has the same problems as Changchun, Xi'an and other places: It is difficult for people to buy vegetables, see a doctor, and even the tragic death of patients who are unable to seek medical treatment in time.

What is strange is that the attitude of the Beijing authorities towards the epidemics in Jilin and Shanghai is also intriguing. Vice Premier Sun Chunlan of the Communist Party of China visited Changchun City and Jilin City from 13 to 16 March and from 25 to 26 March respectively, urging local authorities to strengthen epidemic prevention and control, and repeatedly stressed that "adhere to the general policy of prevention and control without wavering" , to ensure the realization of 'social zero'."

The strange thing is that for such a serious epidemic situation in Shanghai and its self-imposed epidemic prevention claims, the Beijing authorities have not seen such high-level officials sent to Shanghai to supervise the war. Only Zhang Jiwen, the leader of the inspection team and deputy director of the General Administration of Customs, went to Shanghai on 22 March. The so-called inspection work was carried out, and what he said did not seem to be new, but re-emphasized the importance of "dynamic clearing", at least from the public reports.

So why has Sun Chunlan, who is regarded as the "anti-epidemic fire-fighting captain" in major epidemics in various places, hasn't gone to Shanghai so far? Hong Kong's "Ming Pao" said in an article on 29 March that this shows the uniqueness of Shanghai. First of all, Sun Chunlan did not go because the status of Shanghai Secretary Li Qiang was equal to that of Sun Chunlan. Sun may be embarrassed to go to guide Shanghai to fight the epidemic. You must know that Sun Chunlan went to Tianjin in January this year, Guangdong in June last year, and July the previous year. In Xinjiang, they all guided the anti-epidemic work when the local epidemic was severe. Tianjin Secretary Li Hongzhong, Guangdong Secretary Li Xi and former Xinjiang Secretary Chen Quanguo were also members of the Politburo.

In addition, the article also gives an example, when a fire broke out in the teachers' apartment building in Jing'an District in Shanghai on November 15, 2010, resulting in 58 deaths and more than 70 injuries, then State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu arrived in Shanghai overnight to guide the aftermath, and then Shanghai Secretary Yu Zhengsheng , although a member of the Politburo and have a high status, "also accompanies him and respects him."

Since Ming Pao has a Jiang faction background, it clearly attributed the reason Sun Chunlan did not go to Shanghai to Li Qiang. Earlier, it was reported that Li Qiang, a close associate of Xi Jinping, will be promoted to the Standing Committee of the 20th National Congress as usual. Perhaps the real reason why Sun Chunlan did not go to Shanghai was that she did not want to go into the muddy waters of the CCP high-level fight.

Recently, the Internet also reported that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Changchun on 28 March to inspect the epidemic situation and prevention and control. What is very strange is that there is no report in the official media, and there is no relevant information in the news of the senior officials of XinhuaNet, and the information about the inspection is revealed by a video shot by a local netizen but the authenticity of the video has not been confirmed.

On 28 March, Changchun announced that it would adopt stricter sealing and control measures. All personnel are prohibited from moving freely, and a round of nucleic acid testing for all employees will be carried out on the 28th and 29th. No one is missed.

Many people still remember that on the closing day of the two sessions 20 days ago, Li Keqiang said at a press conference that "unswervingly expand the opening up, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers will not flow backwards", and also took the initiative to touch on the Xuzhou "Chain Woman" incident, and surprisingly told hundreds of journalists "this is my last year as prime minister". Li Keqiang's remarks reveal the differences within the CCP, which contradict the actions of the ultra-leftists at the highest level in Zhongnanhai. Regardless of whether Li Keqiang is motivated by human nature or other ideas, his choice to explode high-level differences undoubtedly confirms the outside world's inference that the CCP's high-level leaders are not united and the internal waves are turbulent.

The Epoch Times is currently unable to confirm the authenticity of the above-mentioned video but whether it is true or false, it may once again reflect the open differences among the top leaders before the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

So, will the epidemic prevention chaos from Shanghai affect the official career of Shanghai Secretary Li Qiang? Judging from the promotion experience of Yu Zhengsheng and Han Zheng in the past, it seems that it has little impact, but Li Qiang's promotion will still be affected to some extent is not impossible. Now the political situation in CCP China is getting more and more chaotic.

This article represents the views and statements of the author only.

News (15)

CCP China added more than 13,000 cases! Two years later, the number of local cases breaks 10,000, and asymptomatic infection accounts for 89%

Reporter : Chen Xiangru / https://news.tvbs.com.tw/china/1757394 /Image : Video Screenshot



After a lapse of two years, the number of new local cases in the mainland once again exceeded 10,000 in a single day, of which asymptomatic infections accounted for 89%. The number of infections in Shanghai, the hardest-hit area, continues to rise. Why are there so many asymptomatic infections in this wave of mainland China? According to the analysis, because the mainland adopts large-scale nucleic acid testing, it can find out more asymptomatic infections.

On 3 April 2022, there were more than 13,000 new local confirmed cases in mainland China, which was the first time in the past two years that it exceeded 10,000 in a single day. The hardest-hit areas were in Shanghai and Jilin.

The Shanghai New International Expo Center in Pudong has been converted into a square cabin hospital for mild and asymptomatic infections. This wave of asymptomatic infections in Shanghai accounts for almost 80-90%.

Chen Erzhen, Head of the Shanghai Centralized Isolation Medical Team, said, "Because of the most critical issue of infectious diseases, early detection, early isolation and early treatment are required, so in this regard, Shanghai's gestures are still relatively fast."

Many asymptomatic infections have been identified because the mainland has taken multiple nucleic acid tests for all people in the entire city. This wave of epidemics in Shanghai also caused the vice premier of the mainland State Council, Sun Chunlan, to visit and hold a meeting with officials in Shanghai to discuss.

Wu Ganyu, a first-level inspector of the Shanghai Municipal Health and Health Commission, said, "At present, we are advancing the new round of nucleic acid screening work. The main task is to completely eliminate risk points, cut off the chain of transmission, and curb the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible."

In addition, according to a study by the University of Hong Kong, the most common Sinovac vaccine in the mainland has very limited performance in preventing Omicron. The effective rate after 3 doses of BNT for 6 months is 77%, and the effective rate after 3 doses of Sinovac for 6 months is only 8%, so when the mainland's "zero-covid" policy remains unchanged, whether to import foreign vaccines in the future is a cause for concern. 

News (16)

National Health Commission: 31 provinces added 1,455 new local confirmed cases and 11,691 new local asymptomatic infections, total 13,146 covid cases on 2 April 2022


According to the official website of the National Health Commission, 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 1,506 new confirmed cases from 0 to 24:00 on 2 April 2022. Among them, 51 were inbound cases (30 in Sichuan, 10 in Guangdong, 6 in Shanghai, 3 in Fujian, and 2 in Guangxi), including 19 who were converted from asymptomatic infections to confirmed cases (all in Sichuan); 1,455 local cases (956 cases in Jilin, including 723 in Changchun, 230 in Jilin, 2 in Siping, and 1 in Baicheng; 438 in Shanghai, including 107 in Pudong New District, 57 in Minhang District, 44 in Xuhui District, and 38 in Putuo District. 35 in Baoshan District, 31 in Hongkou District, 27 in Huangpu District, 27 in Jiading District, 25 in Jing'an District, 19 in Yangpu District, 8 in Songjiang District, 8 in Fengxian District, 6 in Changning District and 3 in Qingpu District 3 cases in Chongming District; 11 cases in Zhejiang, including 2 in Hangzhou, 2 in Huzhou, 2 in Jinhua, 1 in Ningbo, 1 in Jiaxing, 1 in Shaoxing, 1 in Quzhou, and 1 in Lishui. 8 cases in Fujian, including 7 in Quanzhou and 1 in Xiamen; 6 in Shandong, including 3 in Jinan, 1 in Qingdao, 1 in Dezhou, and 1 in Heze; 6 in Sichuan, including 3 in Chengdu , 2 in Suining, 1 in Deyang; 5 in Heilongjiang, all in Harbin; 5 in Jiangsu, including 3 in Suqian, 1 in Xuzhou, and 1 in Suzhou; 3 in Hainan, all in Sanya; Shaanxi 3 cases, including 2 in Baoji and 1 in Xi'an; 2 in Liaoning, both in Shenyang; 2 in Anhui, including 1 in Huainan and 1 in Huaibei; 2 in Jiangxi, including 1 in Nanchang and 1 in Ji'an 1 case; 2 cases in Guangdong, including 1 in Guangzhou and 1 in Zhaoqing; 1 in Tianjin, in Nankai District; 1 in Hebei, in Handan; 1 in Shanxi, in Datong; 1 in Hunan, in Hengyang; 1 case in Guangxi, in Yulin; 1 case in Xinjiang, in Urumqi), including 118 cases converted from asymptomatic infections to confirmed cases (73 cases in Shanghai, 28 cases in Jilin, 5 cases in Zhejiang, 5 cases in Fujian, 4 cases in Shandong, 1 case in Jiangxi, 1 case in Guangdong, 1 case in Sichuan). No new deaths were reported. No new suspected cases were reported.

On the same day, 2,468 newly cured and discharged cases were added, 23,422 close contacts were released from medical observation, and severe cases decreased by 1 case compared with the previous day.

There are 653 confirmed cases from abroad (no severe cases), and 19 suspected cases. A total of 17,604 confirmed cases have been confirmed, a total of 16,951 cured and discharged cases, and no deaths.

As of 12 am on 3 April 2022, according to reports from 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, there were 26,167 confirmed cases (including 57 severe cases), 123,933 cured and discharged cases, and 4,638 deaths. , a total of 154,738 confirmed cases have been reported, and there are 19 suspected cases. A total of 2,390,486 close contacts have been traced, and 372,642 close contacts are still under medical observation.

31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 11,781 new cases of asymptomatic infections, including 90 inbound cases and 11,691 local cases (7,788 cases in Shanghai, including 1,949 cases in Pudong New Area, 991 cases in Xuhui District, and 11,691 cases in Minhang District. 765 cases, 631 in Huangpu District, 587 in Jiading District, 565 in Songjiang District, 445 in Baoshan District, 351 in Putuo District, 313 in Hongkou District, 301 in Jing'an District, 256 in Yangpu District, 221 in Qingpu District, and 221 in Fengxian District 150 cases, 108 cases in Chongming District, 94 cases in Changning District, 61 cases in Jinshan District; 3499 cases in Jilin, including 3100 in Changchun, 397 in Jilin, 1 in Baishan and 1 in Baicheng; 93 in Anhui, including Huainan 61 cases, 14 cases in Fuyang City, 7 cases in Chuzhou City, 3 cases in Maanshan City, 2 cases in Wuhu City, 2 cases in Bengbu City, 2 cases in Lu'an City, 1 case in Anqing City, and 1 case in Xuancheng City; 43 cases in Liaoning, including Shenyang 33 cases in Shanghai, 4 in Huludao, 3 in Dalian, 3 in Yingkou; 42 in Jiangsu, including 15 in Suzhou, 12 in Nantong, 7 in Suqian, 3 in Zhenjiang, 1 in Nanjing, 1 in Wuxi, 1 in Xuzhou, 1 in Yancheng, and 1 in Taizhou; 42 in Fujian, including 40 in Quanzhou, 1 in Fuzhou, and 1 in Putian; 38 in Jiangxi, including 29 in Nanchang, 6 cases in Fuzhou, 3 in Shangrao; 35 in Hebei, including 22 in Handan and 13 in Baoding; 20 in Henan, including 16 in Zhoukou, 2 in Zhengzhou, and 2 in Yongcheng; 18 in Hubei, of which 14 cases in Suizhou, 3 in Huangshi, 1 in Wuhan; 12 in Heilongjiang, including 8 in Jiamusi, 2 in Harbin, 1 in Yichun, and 1 in Heihe; 8 in Zhejiang, including 4 in Jiaxing , 2 in Hangzhou, 1 in Ningbo, 1 in Jinhua; 8 in Shandong, including 3 in Linyi, 1 in Zibo, 1 in Zaozhuang, 1 in Dezhou, 1 in Liaocheng, and 1 in Binzhou 8 cases in Guangdong, including 5 in Dongguan, 2 in Jieyang, and 1 in Shenzhen; 7 in Gansu, all in Lanzhou; 6 in Hainan, including 5 in Sanya and 1 in Haikou; 6 in Yunnan, including 2 in Kunming, 2 in Qujing, 2 in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture; 5 in Sichuan, including 3 in Chengdu and 2 in Leshan; 4 in Xinjiang, including 2 in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, and 2 in Bayingoleng Mongolia 2 in Autonomous Prefecture; 3 in Tianjin, including 2 in Xiqing District and 1 in Jinnan District; 3 in Guangxi, including 2 in Guilin and 1 in Baise; 1 in Hunan, in Changsha; 1 in Chongqing, in Jiangbei District ; 1 case in Guizhou, in the Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of southwestern Guizhou); 137 confirmed cases (19 from abroad) on the same day; 1841 cases of medical observation released on the same day (84 from abroad); asymptomatic infections still under medical observation 73,689 cases (1,105 from abroad).

News (17)

Luo Yijun: Omicron BA.2 is more likely to attack organs than the flu

Editor : Lai Huijin / https://news.tvbs.com.tw/life/1757475 / Image : Luo Yijun, deputy head of the medical response team of the Central Epidemic Command Center. (Photo/Command Centre)



Foreign media reported that the fatality rate of children infected with Omicron subtype variant BA.2 is higher than that of influenza. Luo Yijun, Deputy Head of the medical response team of the Command Centre, said on 3 April 2022 that for children, the risk of Omicron invading different organs is higher than that of influenza, and special attention should be paid.

Domestic media quoted foreign reports, Guan Rihua, an honorary clinical associate professor of the Department of Child and Adolescent Sciences of the University of Hong Kong and a consultant doctor of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Princess Margaret Hospital, said on 1 April 2022 that the mortality of children infected with Covi29 BA.2 is about 7 times the mortality rate of influenza.

Luo Yijun pointed out at the press conference of the Central Epidemic Command Center today that compared with past covi variants, although the overall destructive power and aggressive nature of Omicron variant (Covi29) is lower, but in children, Covi29 has a higher risk of developing a multisystem inflammatory syndrome, including the nervous system, compared to other cold viruses, and even the flu virus.

Luo Yijun further explained that, in fact, Covi29 will infect different organs. For children, the risk of Omicron invading different organs is higher than that of influenza, and even the fatality rate is also the same. In terms of mortality, it is particularly prone to occur in children under the age of 1, and children need special attention and observation to prevent infection.

According to the statistics of the command center, from 1 January to 2 April 2022, there were a total of 1,530 local cases, among which 3 were moderate to severe from January to April, and 1 died. The outside world is concerned about whether this data means that covid has become influenza. Chen Shizhong said that the number of confirmed cases in of the Republic China is small, and it is difficult to infer influenza from this data. Omicron is still a great threat to the unvaccinated elderly.

For confirmed patients, covid antiviral drugs are also an important part of preventing the disease from deteriorating to severe cases. Regarding the purchase of antiviral drugs, Chen Shizhong said that the drug import review process is lengthy, and it takes a lot of time to import alone, and the drugs are still in progress. For the stability test, if the validity period is not long enough, it is impossible to prepare too much. If a pharmaceutical company, such as Pfizer, applies for an extension of the validity period, it will be purchased on a large scale. (Central News Agency)

News (18)

Cambodia opens entry to quarantine-free for more than 3 months, more than 150,000 international tourists in the first quarter

Editor : Lai Huijin / https://news.tvbs.com.tw/world/1757380 / Image : Entry into Cambodia is exempt from quarantine. (Researcher's Picture) Cambodia opens entry to quarantine-free for more than 3 months, and international tourists exceed 150,000 in the first quarter

Cambodia allowed entry without quarantine in mid-November last year, driving international tourists to visit. Officials pointed out that in the first quarter of this year, Cambodia welcomed more than 150,000 international tourists, an annual increase of 114%; at the same time, the ticket revenue of Angkor Wat exceeded NT$20 million.

The Khmer Times reported that Kong Sopheareak, head of the Statistics Division of the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, said that from January to March 2022, a total of 151,680 international tourists visited Cambodia, of which 86,588 took flights. There is an annual increase of  inbound tourists by 158%.
 
"Among the international tourists visiting Cambodia, the largest number came from Vietnam, followed by Thailand and China," said Sophie Rui.

Soferi said that Cambodia has a population of about 16 million. After most of its citizens were vaccinated against COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), Cambodia resumed various social and economic activities in mid-November last year, and tourists can enter as long as they are fully vaccinated. Quarantine-free, resulting in a surge in the number of international tourists visiting.

"With the quarantine-free policy, we are confident that travelers will see Cambodia as a major holiday destination, and we hope to attract 600,000 to 700,000 international travelers this year, up from 200,000 in 2021," he said.”

The opening of Cambodia's borders has injected vitality into the tourism industry. The report pointed out that in the first quarter of this year, foreign tourists to Angkor Wat reached 19,840, an increase of 342% from 4,482 in the same period last year; ticket revenue was 815,575 US dollars (about NT$23.41 million), an increase of 340% compared with 185,000 US dollars in the same period last year.

The tourism industry is one of the four pillars supporting Cambodia’s economy. According to statistics from the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, before the outbreak of the covid epidemic in 2019, the number of international tourists who visited Cambodia in that year reached 6.61 million, with a total revenue of US$4.92 billion.

According to the report, Cambodia’s neighboring countries and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members have gradually eased entry restrictions and reopened their borders. Such policies have also helped drive international tourists to Cambodia.

According to Cambodian officials, a total of 135,747 people have been infected and 3,054 people have died in Cambodia so far. (Central News Agency)

News (19)

MU5735 crash: CCP China asks US to download black box data

Reporter : Zheng Gusheng / Editor: Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/04/02/a103390259.html / Image : On 21 March 2022, the wreckage of the plane found at the crash site of China Eastern Airlines. (Video Screenshot)


A U.S. official revealed that the U.S. experts are assisting China in downloading the black box data of the crashed passenger plane of China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735. It is unusual for CCP China to turn to the U.S. for help at a time when U.S.-China relations are tense.

On 2 April 2022, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told Reuters that it was assisting CAAC investigators at a laboratory in Washington to download data from the cockpit call recorder of the crashed MU5735 plane.

The NTSB is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civilian transportation accident investigations.

With the U.S.-China relationship heading for confrontation, it is quite unusual for China to suddenly send major evidence of the plane crash to the U.S. for assistance.

The two black boxes of the crashed passenger plane of China Eastern Yunnan have been recovered for several days. The official only said that the data has been sent to Beijing for official analysis and download, but no progress has been announced so far.

On 2 April, the CCP media Global Times relayed a report that the NTSB assisted China in downloading black box data. At the same time, Xinhua News Agency and other mouthpieces also reported that the NTSB dispatched a seven-member working group of authorized representatives and technical consultants to China to participate in the investigation of the MU5735 flight accident.

However, the NTSB told Reuters that the agency sent a team of just three investigators, and it was unclear if they would travel to the crash site and how long they would stay in China. Personnel from Boeing, the manufacturer of the crashed passenger plane, are also traveling to China to assist in the investigation.

On 21 March 2022, China Eastern Yunnan flight MU5735 crashed into Wuzhou, Guangxi. Officials later announced that all 123 passengers and nine crew members on board were killed. Lu media reported that the crashed Boeing 737-800NG passenger plane, numbered B1791, was only 6 years and 8 months old.

The video posted on the Internet shows that the crashed passenger plane finally plunged vertically from a high altitude and fell to the ground, which is very rare. Afterwards, CCP media followed the principle of "official news prevails" and did not report any details about the cause of the crash. The families of the victims are also being closely monitored by the authorities. There are various speculations and rumors on the Internet, including the driver's suicide, the plane falling into disrepair because China Eastern Airlines Yunnan Company has saved operating costs, and the Yunnan branch repairing the aircraft's pickle fork in violation of regulations. Without releasing any investigation results, the government blindly "refuted rumours", which aroused more suspicion among netizens.

News (20)

Broken windshield in mid-air, Delta flight diverts 198 people safe

Editor : Lu Yongxin / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/04/03/a103390752.html / Image :A Delta Air Lines plane passes an Uber sign in the car-sharing pickup area as it lands at Los Angeles International Airport in California on August 20, 2020. Schematic. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)


A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 aircraft suffered a broken cockpit windshield during flight. About 90 minutes after takeoff, it made an emergency landing at the airport. Fortunately, all 198 people on the plane were safe. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said today (April 3) that it will launch an investigation to find out what went wrong.

On 31 March, the crew declared an emergency on a Delta flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Washington, D.C. due to a "broken windshield" and at 11.35 am they performed the emergency landing at Denver, Colorado airport left and right.

There were 198 people on board, and passengers were diverted to other flights in Denver to Ronald Reagan National Airport, according to Salt Lake City news station KUTV.

Passenger Rachel Wright told KUTV that about 90 minutes after takeoff, the crew broadcasted over loudspeakers that they would land in Denver 10 minutes later because of a shattered windshield.

"I thought I heard it wrong but I didn't."

A photo posted on Twitter by a person claiming to be a passenger on the flight showed the plane's windshield with spider web-like cracks but it did not fall off.

Delta Air Lines said in a statement about the incident that the flight had a "maintenance issue mid-flight" but said no further problems had occurred.

A Delta spokesperson said, "Out of an abundance of caution, the crew decided to divert to Denver and landed as usual; our crews quickly arranged for passengers on board to transfer to another flight; for passengers' travel plans and the resulting delays We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."


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