China’s covid wave could kill as many as 1.5m people
The government can still avoid an enormous death toll
Testing stations are being removed from city streets. The enforcers of “zero-covid” are nowhere to be found. In China’s battle against covid-19, the state has disappeared from the front lines. For nearly three years President Xi Jinping tried to contain the virus, calling his efforts a “people’s war”. Now he has surrendered and the people must live with the enemy.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Little steps, many lives”
From the December 17th 2022 edition
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