‘Oku taupotu ‘i lalo ha fakamatala fakaTonga
China’s failure to release cremation data from late 2022 is a concerning development that raises questions about the true impact of the country’s Covid-19 outbreak.
The omission of this key indicator of fatalities from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs is just the latest in a series of data transparency issues that have plagued China’s handling of the pandemic.
The lack of comprehensive data on Covid-19 deaths in China makes it difficult to assess the true scale of the pandemic in the country.
This is a serious problem, as it makes it difficult to plan and implement effective public health measures. It also undermines public trust in the government’s ability to manage the pandemic.
The Guardian report on the issue said: “Experts have said the country’s official data on deaths likely significantly underestimates how many people succumbed to the virus during that time, which Chinese officials have since claimed as part of their “major and decisive victory” over the pandemic.
“In reality, the outbreak overwhelmed crematoriums, packed hospitals and left people scrambling for scarce medicines, exposing the government’s lack of preparation for its policy U-turn, which followed rising economic costs and unprecedented public protests against its far-reaching controls”.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs did not respond to a CNN request for comment on the omission.
Since the early days of the pandemic, Chinese officials have claimed a low death rate comparable to other places in the world, which they argued showed the success of China’s approach to Covid-19.
While the rest of the world was hit by Covid before the advent of vaccines, China’s tight border controls kept the virus largely at bay after its initial outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, until more transmissible variants made that policy increasingly unsustainable and damaging.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 continues to cause havoc for New Zealand traveller and accounts for hundreds of claims, according to a major travel insurer.
The New Zealand Herald report said: “Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) said the virus continues to be a primary reason Kiwis and Australian customers claim on their policies.
According to the company Covid-19 may feel less prevalent but this was not the case.
“It might seem increasingly uncommon for friends, family, and colleagues to be coming down with Covid-19, but the virus is well and truly circulating,” it said in a statement to Herald Travel.
As a result, the company said Covid-19 continued to disrupt travel plans for Kiwis and Australians.
Southern Cross Travel policies have included Covid-19 coverage since 2020. However, CEO Jo McCauley said it was still a crucial inclusion for many travellers.
“Covid continues to be one of the main reasons our customers claim, and it looks like it’s going to affect travellers for some time to come,” she said.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
‘Oku ‘i ai ‘a e hoha’a mo hono fakafehu’ia ‘o e tu’unga totonu ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e ‘ikai lava ke mapule’i ‘a e mafola ko ia ‘a e Kōviti – 19 ‘i he fonua tu’unga ‘i he ‘ikai ke tuku ange mai ‘e Siaina ‘a e fakamatala totonu fekau’aki mo e kau fakamomofi ‘i he konga kimui ‘o e 2022.
Ko hono fūfūu ko ‘eni mei he Potungāue Ki Muli ‘a Siaina ‘a e tefito’i me’a mahu’inga ko ‘eni ki hono ‘ilo’i totonu ‘o e kau mate ko e taha pē ia ‘o e ngaahi ‘īsiū ‘oku nenefu ai ‘a e tu’unga ‘o hono tokanga’i ‘e Siaina ‘a e mahaki faka’auha.
‘Oku faingata’a ke fai hano ‘ilo pau ki he tu’unga ‘o e mahaki faka’auha ‘i he fonua koe’uhi ko e si’isi’i ko ia ‘a e fakamatala totonu ki he kau mate ‘i he Kōviti – 19 ‘i Siaina.
Ko e palopalema lahi ‘aupito ‘eni ia pea ‘oku faingata’a ai ke fatu ha palani ngāue lelei ‘a e ngaahi fai’anga tokoni ki he mo’ui lelei. ‘Oku hoko ai ‘a e fifingaua ‘a e kakai ki he tu’unga ‘oku tokanga’i ‘aki ‘e Siaina ‘a e mahaki faka’auha.
Na’e pehē ‘e he lipooti ‘a e Guardian ‘i he ‘īsiū ko ‘eni: ‘Oku tala ‘e he kau mataotao ko e ma’unga tala fakafonua ko ‘eni ‘o e kau mate ‘oku hā mahino ai ‘a e ‘ikai ‘ilo’i pau ‘o e kakai ‘oku vaivai ki he vailasi lolotonga ‘o e taimi ko ia, ‘a ia ‘oku tala ‘e Siaina ia ko ‘enau ikuna kafakafa ia ‘o e mahaki faka’auha.
” Ko hono mo’oni kuo hoko ‘a e ‘ikai malava ke mapule’i ‘a e mafola ‘a e mahaki ni ke hake ai ‘a e ngaahi fale fakamomofi, hake ngaahi falemahaki pea taufa’ao e kakai ‘i he si’i ‘a e faito’o, ‘o mahino ai ‘a e si’isi’i ‘a e teuteu ‘a e pule’anga ki he’ene taumu’a ngāue U-turn, ‘o muimui atu ai ‘a e hikihiki ‘a e ngaahi me’a fakapa’anga pea mo e afkahāloto ‘a e kakai ‘o fakafepaki ki he tu’unga kuo a’u ki ai ‘a e ta’emalava ke mapule’i. “
Na’e ‘ikai ha tali mei he Potungāue ki Muli ki he kole ‘a e CNN ki ha’anau lau fekau’aki mo e ‘ikai ‘omai ko ‘eni ha fakamatala.
Ko e talu mei he kamata mai ‘a e mahaki faka’auha mo hono tala ‘e he kau ma’u mafai ‘a Siaina ‘a e toko si’i pē ‘a e kau mate ‘o hangē pē ko e ngaahi feitu’u kehe ‘i māmani. ‘a ia ‘oku nau pehē ko e mahino ia ‘o e lelei ‘o e tokanga’i ‘e Siaina ‘a e Kōviti 19.
Lolotonga ko ia ‘a e ma’unga kovia ‘o māmani ‘e he Kōviti kimu’a hono ‘ilo’i ko ia hono faito’o, ko e tātāpuni malu ko ia ‘e Siaina hono kau’āfonua ‘i he hili ‘o e mafola ta’etoemapule’i ‘i he kolo lahi ko ia ‘i Siaina ko Wuhan, , ‘o a’u ki he ‘asi mai mo e kalasi vailasi kehekehe ‘o hoko ai ‘a e fo’i founga ko ia ‘o ‘ikai toe malu pea maumau lahi.
‘I he taimi tatau, ‘oku kei fakautuutu ‘a e hoko ‘a e Kōviti – 19 ko e palopalema lahi ki he fe’alu’aki, pea mo e ngaahi ‘eke pa’anga fakatatau ki ha lau ‘a e taha ‘o e kau malu’i folaui lalahi.
Na’e pehē ‘e he lipooti ‘a e New Zealand Herald: Na’e tala ‘e he kautaha malu’i Southern Cross ko e vailasi ‘oku lahji atha ai ‘a e ‘eke malu’i ‘a e kau folau Nu’usila mo ‘Aositelēlia.
Fakatatau ki he kautaha, ‘oku ‘ikai ko e keisi ia ‘a e hangē ‘oku ‘ikai fu’u mafola ‘a e Kōviti – 19.
” ‘E hā ngalingali si’i `pe ‘ene mafola ki he ni’ighi, fāmili pe kaungāngāue ‘e hoko kia kinautolu ‘a e Kōviti – 19, ka ko e vailasi ‘oku mo’onbi ‘ene mafola,”
Ko hono ola, na’e pehē ‘e he kautaha ‘oku kei hoko hoko atyu pē ‘a e fakafehalaaki’i ‘e Kōviti – 19 ‘a e ngaahgi palasi folau ‘a e kakai ‘o Nu’usila mo ‘Aositelēlia.
Na’e fakakau foki ‘e he founga ngāue fefolau’aki ‘a e Southern Cross ‘a e Kōviti – 19 talu mei he 2020. Kae kehe, ‘oku pehē ‘e he CEO Jo McCuley, ‘oku kei fakakau pē ia ‘e he toko lahi ‘o e kau fefolau’aki.
Na’a ne pehē, ” ‘Oku kei hoko atu ‘a e hoko ‘a e Kōviti ko e ‘uhinga tefito ia ‘o e ‘eke pa’anga ‘a e kau kasitomā pea ‘oku hangehangē ka fuofuoloa ‘ene uesia ‘a e kau fefolau’aki. ”
