The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has reintroduced some COVID-19 control measures across the country, including new mask and vaccination mandates, as an outbreak of what it calls "atypical pneumonia" continues to wreak chaos across the country.

The mandates signal the severity of the epidemic in China. At the same time, the regime continues to avoid admitting that this wave of pneumonia, which has been building up over three months, is another wave of COVID-19.

It just released official COVID data for November, in which authorities reported a reduction in COVID-19 infection numbers compared to October, which have been questioned by the public. Meanwhile, China-based experts have been saying that a peak of infection is expected in January.

CCP's Claims

The CCP’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on the nationwide death toll and severe cases of COVID-19 infection in November on Dec. 13.

According to the report, from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30, there were 135 new severe cases of COVID-19 infection and 8 deaths across the whole of mainland China. By contrast, the U.S. CDC reported approximately 19,444 weekly COVID hospitalizations as of Nov. 25, and at least 9,000 deaths. While the two nations have different data definitions, the divergence has seen the international community criticize the CCP for its lack of transparency on COVID.

The CCP has been accused by the international community of seriously underreporting COVID-19 related data and covering up the scale of the outbreak in mainland China since the initial outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019 due to the regime’s lack of transparency. COVID-19 was originally called "Wuhan pneumonia" due to its symptoms.

Again, officially reported numbers now stand in contrast to the overwhelming reports on media and social media showing overcrowded Chinese hospitals, increasing claims of "white lung," and rising pneumonia deaths across the country.

A total of 5,255 local cases of COVID-19 are caused by Omicron mutant strains, covering 73 evolutionary branches, the Chinese authorities said in the November update. The main prevalent strains are XBB series mutant strains. Incidents of severe disease are lower compared to the 24 deaths and 209 severe cases officially reported in October.

Chinese in Disbelief

Chinese netizens expressed disbelief at the newly released official numbers.

One post read, "The COVID-19 outbreak is already out of control." Another read, "I've already been infected with COVID-19 3 times. I don't believe them anymore." Another said in a post, "Please tell less serious jokes like this."

Infectious diseases doctors in Anhui, Shanghai, and other places told "Medical Circle (Yixue Jie)”—China's leading medical information website—on Dec. 12 that the number of COVID-19 infections in China is increasing. They predict a peak of COVID-19 infections across China around New Year’s Day, which may last until mid-to-late January 2024.

The Medical Circle report also cited Chinese pediatric infection experts saying that, “If multiple pathogens are prevalent together, the superimposed severity and mortality rates will rise sharply.”

China has been grappling with a wave of mysterious pneumonia that started in September, spiking in mid-October, and fast-worsening into November, overwhelming hospitals across the country. The infections have been particularly severe for children, many of whom have been exhibiting “white lung” symptoms, that are typical in severe “COVID-19” cases. It has also been reported among adults.

However, the CCP has avoided mention of COVID-19 or the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, instead, attributing the outbreak to mycoplasma pneumonia, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and other pathogens.

Meanwhile, the regime has been readopting COVID-19 restrictions. It’s reported that Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have begun conducting COVID-19 PCR testing at airports, public events, and hospitals. Schools across the country have also begun COVID-19 disinfection by “big whites”—COVID-19 pandemic staff who wear full body protective clothing.

Sima Nan, one of the regime’s top propagandists who lives in Beijing, even posted a video on social media on Dec. 13 saying that COVID-19 is coming back and that Beijing has recently started vaccination for the elderly.

Vaccination

On Dec. 11, state TV network CCTV reported that Beijing has started COVID-19 vaccination for key groups such as the elderly against the XBB strains. According to the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the current main circulating strain of virus that causes COVID-19 infections is XBB and its sub-variants.

Between Dec. 1 and Dec. 3, China approved five new Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines for "emergency use." They are all targeting XBB variants.

According to media reports, as of Dec. 13, many cities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Wuhan, Datong, Yantai, Guangzhou, Xianyang, Suzhou, Nanchang, and Harbin, have started COVID-19 vaccination against the XBB variants.

New Mask Mandates

The CCP’s CDC published new mask "guidelines" on Dec. 9, mandating the public to wear masks in various places and occasions to prevent “respiratory infectious diseases.”

It stated that people infected with respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus infection, should wear masks in indoor public places or where they have close contact with others with a distance of less than 1 meter (3.3 feet). Those with symptoms of respiratory infectious diseases such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches, and fatigue, are also required to wear masks.

China's CDC also required that during the period of high incidence of respiratory infectious diseases, people should wear masks when attending medical institutions for treatment, or accompanying patients or visiting. Those who visit or work at nursing homes, social welfare institutions, and child care institutions should also wear masks.

According to the new "guidelines," masks are mandated on public transportation as well as other public places, including supermarkets, theaters, passenger terminals, elevators, and other closed and crowded places.

In addition, it said that the elderly, patients with chronic underlying diseases, and pregnant women, should wear masks when going to indoor public places; and that people should wear masks when they work, study, or live with those who have respiratory infectious disease symptoms.

The sweeping new mask mandates quickly caused a stir on Chinese social media.

One netizen posted, “It seems to be really serious.” Another post questioned, "Is the next step to lockdown and do mass PCR testing ?" Another asked, “Have the makeshift hospitals been built?"

Sudden Death of CCP’s Vaccine Ambassador

Well known Hong Kong actress Kathy Chow Hoi-mei suddenly passed away in Beijing on Dec. 11, aged 57. Her death was widely reported by all Chinese-language media and immediately became the most talked about topic on social media.

Ms. Chow was the CCP’s COVID-19 vaccine ambassador who had appeared in a few PSAs (public service announcements) on Chinese TV networks to show that she had been inoculated with Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines while encouraging others to take the shots.

Her last PSA video was released a week before her death, showing her taking her fourth COVID-19 vaccine—the China-made inhaled COVID-19 vaccine.

Ms. Chow's digital medical records at Beijing’s Shunyi Hospital of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were allegedly leaked to social media, sparking speculation that her death might have been related to COVID-19. According to the document, which The Epoch Times has been unable to independently verify, Ms. Chow was sent to the emergency room on Dec. 11.

”She was found to have lost consciousness and her heartbeat had stopped for one hour,” it read. The record also detailed what was relayed by her colleague who sent her to the hospital: “The patient had been coughing and wheezing for the past week, and had been taking oxygen therapy at home. Last night (Dec. 10), she had severe wheezing."

On Dec. 13, the hospital confirmed to Chinese media that the leaked medical record of Ms. Chow was real. Both the hospital and Shunyi District Health Commission said they would cooperate with the police to investigate how the record was leaked.

It was reported that Ms. Chow had been battling lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease, since 1998. Patients in China are cautioned against taking COVID-19 vaccines due to its potential severe side effects.

Dr. Dong Yuhong, a European virology and infectious disease expert and The Epoch Times contributor, said on Dec. 13 that patients with immune disease, including immune dysfunction, should be extremely cautious when taking COVID-19 vaccines.

"If your immunity is not good, vaccination may not have the expected effect. Especially Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines are inactivated vaccines, which have quality and safety risks," he said.

Ms. Chow moved from Hong Kong to Beijing in 2002 and had mainly acted in mainland Chinese TV and movie productions.

During Hong Kong’s anti-CCP’s extradition law movement in 2019, she filmed a pro-CCP short film for mainland media to support the regime’s brutal suppression of all protesters—including non-violent protesters.

Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of the spiritual practice Falun Gong, told The Epoch Times on Aug. 26 that the virus that causes COVID-19 is directed at the CCP, along with those who blindly follow the party, defend it, and devote their lives to it.

At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Mr. Li described plagues as an inevitability when moral values deteriorate.

Mr. Li's advice is that people “stay far away from the evil CCP and don’t align with the evil Party because what lies behind it is the red demon. Its behavior and actions are thuggish, and it stops at no evil.”

Ning Haizhong, Luo Ya, and Fang Xiao contributed to this report.