Local Chinese Officials Indicate Millions of Daily Infections Ahead of COVID-19 Peak

Local numbers from provinces, cities are much higher than official statistics

Medical staff wait to assist a patient at a fever clinic treating COVID-19 patients in Beijing on Dec. 21, 2022. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Chinese provinces and cities are seeing millions of new COVID-19 infections each day, much higher than the official statistics, with the wave expected to peak in the weeks ahead.

Health officials said there were roughly 1 million new COVID-19 infections every day in Zhejiang, a coastal province located south of Shanghai. Infections in the manufacturing hub of 65.4 million are estimated to double around New Year’s Day.