Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

‘No masks by end April,’ optimistic experts say

New cases reported outside Hubei continue to remain in single digits

Chinese epidemiologists have dropped a morale-boosting hint about when an upturn in the nation’s battle against the Covid-19 outbreak may emerge.

State media including Xinhua quoted Zhang Boli, President of the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine who also sits on an expert panel advising the central government, as saying that by the end of April, people could expect to remove their masks and breathe freely and fearlessly and even take a bracing, long overdue outing to gulp in scents, but not virus, in the air of a spring day.

Yet those in the central megacity of Wuhan, the epicenter of the still unfolding pneumonic epidemic, and in the rest of Hubei province, may still need to endure several more months of lockdowns and quarantines in the protracted war on the virus, before they can ultimately heave a sigh of relief.

Zhang’s optimism is shared by some other authoritative infectious disease specialists including Zhong Nanshan, a judgment holding out hope that defies the perception of heightened risks.

Some observers are perturbed about a new spate of outbreaks that may hit major urban centers across the nation when roads are once again clogged and malls are teeming with spenders.

Hundreds of millions were to return to work after a Lunar New Year break, but that has stretched into months-long house confinement as people were mandated to stay at home since late January amid the rampaging coronavirus contagion.

Official data show Hubei added another 196 confirmed cases to its total tally to 67,103 as of Monday afternoon, while all other provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions throughout China have only reported seven new infections, sustaining an encouraging tendency of a single-digit increase in the overall count of those that have contracted the acute respiratory disease, as the pandemic appears to be lulling in places outside Hubei.

The National Health Commission also said that 44,518 patients had been cured and discharged, representing a recovery rate of more than 50%, although the treatment and test parameters are said to vary from one province to another.

Meanwhile, major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are deploying additional manpower to cordon off arrival halls at their respective airports for temperature screenings and disinfection of passengers flying in from overseas. These measures follow discoveries of imported cases from virus-stricken nations from South Korea to Singapore and Italy to Iran.

Members of local Chinese diasporas and some nationals of these countries have been fleeing amid the health scare and many are flocking to China.

A host of ministries responsible for foreign affairs, immigration, quarantine and border control and protection are scrambling to fend off a possible “back flow” of the virus. These ministries have also prodded people to postpone or cancel their trips abroad to avoid being stranded or taken ill in a foreign country as the highly contagious pathogen emanating from China has long spilled over borders, with the situation in some countries spiraling out of control.

China has stopped issuing individual visit visas for mainlanders to enter its two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau since the end of January, and there are calls to bar anyone from South Korea from entering, where 476 new cases have been reported on Monday, a 25% jump over a day earlier to make a total of 4,212.

An official in charge of consular protection at the foreign ministry also said Beijing would not rule out pulling its nationals out of some countries with worsening outbreaks.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×