China Timely Provides Relevant Data On COVID-19 Situation In Country - Foreign Ministry

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2023) Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday that China had been providing relevant information about the COVID-19 situation in a timely manner after Beijing was accused by the World Health Organization (WHO) of under-reporting the true number of deaths caused by the infection.

On Wednesday, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the organization's data on the number of deaths from COVID-19 worldwide was lowered due to the under-reporting of cases by China. The WHO chief urged all countries to share true statistics so as to contribute to a more effective fight against the spread of the disease.

"China has always provided relevant information and data to all sides in accordance with the legislation and principle of timeliness, openness and transparency," Wang told a briefing.

The diplomat expressed hope that the WHO would assess the efficiency of China's COVID-19 policy in a "scientific and rational way" and provide objective and fair feedback.

Last week, EU member states agreed to put in place a recommendation concerning pre-flight COVID-19 testing and mask wearing for passengers arriving from China.

In December, China's government started to gradually ease its "zero tolerance" policy toward the pandemic, which had been the strictest in the world for almost three years. On January 8, obligatory PCR testing and centralized isolation for people arriving in China were canceled.

At the same time, the country has faced a surge in COVID-19 infections, forcing a number of countries, including the United States, Italy, Japan and South Korea, to tighten entry requirements for passengers arriving from China.