China reports first COVID-19 deaths in over a year

Mainland China has reported its first COVID-19 deaths in more than a year on Saturday, according to the National Health Commission’s.

The country battles its worst outbreak in two years driven by a surge in the highly transmissible omicron variant.

Jiao Yahui, an official with the National Health Commission, “The deaths, both in northeastern Jilin province, bring the country’s coronavirus death toll to 4,638.

Both fatalities occurred in elderly patients and were the result of their underlying conditions, one of them had not been vaccinated for COVID-19,” she said.

The majority of new 2,157 community transmissions reported Saturday came from Jilin. The province has imposed a travel ban, with people needing permission from police to travel across borders.

Nationwide, China has reported more than 29,000 confirmed cases since the beginning of March.

Reuters