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A top Australian doctor has warned the world is facing the most dangerous moment of the Covid pandemic as the virus spirals out of control in China due to its draconian zero-Covid policy
Former Federal Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nick Coatsworth said the Chinese government’s inability to get elderly residents vaccinated meant the ‘genie was out of the bottle’ and warned we would now see a ‘significant’ spread of Covid and even death.
China is pursuing a controversial zero-Covid policy of trying to eliminate the virus through severe restrictions and quarantine measures.
However, relying on its own vaccines, rather than superior foreign vaccines, has led to a massive spread of Covid and growing discontent, with thousands of people taking to the streets in China this week to protest President Xi Jinping’s policies .
In recent days, Chinese police have clashed with thousands protesting the country’s draconian Covid lockdowns
China is pursuing a controversial zero-Covid policy by attempting to eliminate the virus through severe restrictions and quarantine measures
Dr. Appearing on the Today Show on Wednesday, Coatsworth said the chaos in China was a bad sign for the rest of the world.
“I would almost say this is the most serious moment for the world in the pandemic,” he said.
“It is clear that China has had a particularly strict Covid Zero policy, but unfortunately that has not been matched by the ability to convince elderly Chinese to get vaccinated.
“So we now have a situation where in a country of 1.4 billion people, only 40 percent of the over-80s have received a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine.”
Dr. Coatsworth said China could no longer “hold back” Covid as it spread through the country.
“With the Omicron variant being so contagious, it will now spread and I think the genie is definitely out of the bottle,” he said.
“The Chinese government will not be able to contain Covid now and it will spread through that population and we will see significant health impacts and deaths.
“Whatever one thinks of the Chinese government, I think the solidarity of the world should stand with the Chinese people here, who will suffer in a way we may not have seen from the COVID-19 pandemic so far.”
He also suggested that the situation showed that China’s zero-Covid strategy was unsustainable.
“If you are going to follow such a strict strategy of Covid zero for so long and the most authoritarian government in the world will eventually find their people rising up against it,” he said.
“I mean we’re talking about pandemic fatigue in Australia, this is on a whole different scale, obviously in China, but if you’re going to follow those policies, you better make sure you convince your population to get vaccinated ?
“Whatever the reason, they have failed to convince elderly Chinese to get vaccinated and of course they will bear the brunt of this wave sweeping through China right now.”
Hundreds could be heard asking President Xi Jinping to step down in notable scenes from the communist country
In the city of Shanghai, videos posted to social media by foreign journalists show thousands of people taking to the streets to remember the victims and protest Covid restrictions.
The Communication University of China in Nanjing was trending on Weibo Saturday night, with one hashtag reaching more than 180 million views. Students from the university gathered, chanting slogans like “long live the people” and turning on the lights on their phones in tribute to the victims of the fire in Urumqi.
In recent days, Chinese police have clashed with thousands protesting the country’s draconian Covid lockdowns – as unprecedented civil unrest gripped the country.
Demonstrations broke out in at least seven cities, including Shanghai, Nanjing and Guangzhou, with violence erupting between local officers and angry protesters.
The largest demonstration took place in Shanghai – home to 26 million people – with many boldly demanding President Xi Jinping’s resignation.
And Dr Coatsworth warned: ‘I think the virus ultimately determines what you have to do as a policy maker.
“Even if you are the most powerful policy maker in the world, the virus will overcome Xi Jinping’s power and he will obviously have to adjust his policies.
“But this is perhaps the most significant impact we’ve seen in the pandemic, where you’re actually protesting in multiple Chinese cities against a world leader who held absolute authority until last week.
“It’s interesting to see how it plays out when you consider where the rest of the world is with this one.”