WHO Calls For More Covid Data From China After 60,000 Deaths In A Month

The World Health Organization on Saturday called on China to provide more data on its Covid situation, after Beijing reported almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths there in just over a month. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the request in a conversation with Ma Xiaowei, director of China's National Health Commission, said a statement from the organisation. "Dr Tedros also reiterated the importance of China's deeper cooperation and transparency," said the statement. The Chinese government has been widely accused of underreporting the number of coronavirus fatalities since the abandonment of its zero-Covid 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 (NHC) official said Saturday that China had recorded 59,938 Covid-related deaths between December 8 and January 12. The figure refers only to deaths at medical faci…