Chinese Medical Workers Reveal the Situation on the Ground as Official Death Toll Stays in Single Digits

China's CDC reports no more than 5 daily deaths since Dec. 21

Medical workers arrive with a patient at a fever clinic in Beijing, on Dec. 9, 2022. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

As Chinese authorities continue to downplay the death toll from the country’s ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, health care workers and social media posts tell a dramatically different story.

In data released on Jan. 9, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 14,171 new confirmed cases across the country’s 31 provinces, with only three new deaths. The agency’s daily statistics going back to Dec. 21 report no more than five deaths per day.