Referring to the fact that more than 200 million people have received the necessary treatment and that it has the lowest mortality rate in the world, senior officials in China declared a "decisive victory" over the covid-19 pandemic

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Edited by| Christian Megan

Beijing-China-February 18, 2023

section  -Health CJ journalist

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      "With continuous efforts to improve covid-19 prevention and control measures since November 2022, China's response has achieved a smooth transition in a relatively short time," the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee said at a meeting, adding that "a decisive and major victory has been achieved in pandemic prevention and control".

Official media reported that about 800 thousand serious cases received proper treatment, but officials warned that while the epidemiological situation continues to improve in the country, the coronavirus is still spreading globally and continues to mutate.

China's highest leadership body has warned all regions and departments to strengthen the system of medical services, according to a report published by the official Xinhua news agency.

In December, China abandoned its strict anti-virus policies that had lasted for almost three years following unprecedented protests over the strict restrictions.

This shift has unleashed the spread of covid-19 among citizens who have been largely protected from the disease since its appearance in the city of Wuhan in late 2019.

Several countries and the World Health Organization have speculated that China has been reporting fewer deaths than the real numbers for months.

Chinese provinces spent at least 352 billion yuan (51.6 billion U.S. dollars) to contain covid-19 in 2022, according to annual budget reports from local governments, which led to a slowdown in economic growth.

France on Thursday canceled the requirement for travelers from China to have a negative covid-19 test result for no more than 48 hours, a measure imposed in early January following the outbreak of coronavirus infections in the Asian giant.

The French Embassy in Beijing said in a statement published by Chinese media on Thursday evening that" as of February 16, passengers traveling from China to France are no longer required to show a negative result of a PCR test of no more than 48 hours, as well as to fill out a health form " related to covid-19.

The statement added that Paris also decided to cancel covid-19 Tests that the authorities were conducting at French airports on some passengers coming from China in samples that were randomly selected.

But the statement stressed that the requirement to wear a muzzle on planes flying from China to France remains in force.