Lockdowns Widen in China as Locals Doubt Official COVID-19 Figures

A worker receives a COVID-19 test at the dining hall of a car parts factory in Wuhan, Hubei Province, on Aug. 4, 2021. STR/AFP via Getty Images

People in many Chinese cities, under heavy lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreaks, are concerned that infection numbers are being underreported.

Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the Chinese National Health Commission, said at an Aug. 13 press conference, “As of now, the diagnosed local [COVID-19] cases have risen for 19 consecutive days, and involved 16 provinces.”