China recorded about 60,000 COVID-19 fatalities since early December on Saturday, providing clear statistics for an alarming rise evident in congested hospitals and packed crematoriums.

The government has stated that the "emergency peak" of the current uptick looks to have passed, although there is still a chance that these COVID-19 death estimates are too low, according to AP News.

The National Health Commission reported 5,503 COVID-19-related respiratory failure deaths and 54,435 COVID-19-related deaths since December 8. The report only included fatalities "related to COVID" that happened in hospitals; this implies that any deaths that occurred outside medical facilities were left out.

Since late 2019, China COVID-19 death toll has reached 10,775. With this restricted definition, many fatalities that would be ascribed to COVID-19 in most parts of the globe are not included in China COVID-19 deaths.

Beijing Claims 'Emergency Peak Has Passed'

Despite a spike in infections that started in October and has overrun hospitals with feverish, wheezing patients, China unexpectedly lifted COVID-19 regulations in early December and ceased providing statistics on COVID-19 fatalities and infections. Funeral homes and crematoriums in Beijing and around the nation have been unable to keep up with the number of individuals who have died, and hospitals have been overloaded with patients.

After local and provincial administrations reported that hundreds of millions of Chinese had caught the virus, the World Health Organization and other countries requested information.

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Jiao Yahui, an official of the National Health Commission, has noted that fewer people visit fever clinics, suggesting that the number of infections is decreasing. He added that "the national emergency peak has passed."

According to Jiao, the average number of patients seen each day at those clinics dropped from 2.9 million on December 23 to 477,000 on Thursday.

COVID-19 Drug Shortages Reported

Meanwhile, CNN reports that drug shortages are being experienced amid the China COVID-19 outbreak, forcing many people to purchase in the black market, where vendors offer COVID-19 medications that may cost up to almost eight times as much as the market price to illegal imports of Indian-manufactured generic versions of Paxlovid and molnupiravir sold by Pfizer and Merck.

Paxlovid reduces mortality and hospitalization in high-risk individuals when administered shortly after symptoms appear. The medication, which is often prescribed in wealthy nations, was approved in China in February.

The COVID-19 drug shortages show China's difficulties in meeting the demand for treatments for its 1.4 billion people after suddenly removing its strict COVID-19 restrictions last month.

A dramatic increase in travel before the Lunar New Year holiday, when hundreds of millions return to small towns and rural regions from cities, has sparked concern that it may cause a spike in China COVID-19 cases during a celebration that starts on January 21.

The World Health Organization cautioned this week that there are dangers associated with holiday travel. On January 8, China reopened its borders, according to CNBC.

Since the start of the yearly travel season on January 7, Chinese airlines have seen passenger numbers return to 63% of 2019 levels, the industry regulator said on Friday, despite concerns about infections.

Passenger traffic is expected to increase 99.5% year-over-year during the festive migration, which begins on January 17 and continues through February 15. This represents a rebound to 70.3% of 2019 levels, according to the transport ministry.

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