Advertisement
From China to the West: learn our lessons on containing the coronavirus pandemic
- Some Chinese sources are suggesting that Western countries have not done enough to stop the spread of the disease
- Advice comes as Europe takes over as the epicentre of the crisis and Beijing tries to ward off imported cases
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
As China’s coronavirus crisis appears to wane and infections elsewhere in the world rise, the message from Beijing is that some countries in the West have been too slow to react and not done enough to contain the pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on the weekend that Europe was the new epicentre of the pandemic, a mantle that had previously hung over China, where the pathogen first emerged.
The number of cases has exploded in countries such as Spain, which now has more than 4,000 reported infections, and Italy, which is in lockdown with more than 20,000 coronavirus patients.
Advertisement
Governments in the West have rushed to introduce containment measures, with fears of a recession rattling global financial markets. The number of cases in the rest of the world could soon surpass the total in China, where there are expected to be fewer than 10,000 people receiving treatment in a matter of days.
China’s National Health Commission said there were 10,734 active coronavirus cases as of Saturday, with 20 new infections reported on Saturday, and more than 1,000 people discharged from hospital each day.
Throughout the epidemic, China has reported 80,884 cases while the rest of the world has 74,225, according to the WHO.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x