Nearly 90% of people in China’s Henan province have been infected with COVID-19, local health officials announced, according to BBC News.

How many people have been infected with COVID-19 in Henan, China?

Kan Quancheng, director of the health commission for central Henan province, which is the third most populous province in China, said in a press conference per The Guardian that “as of Jan. 6, 2023, the province’s Covid infection rate is 89%”.

This would mean that about 88.5 million people in the province have been infected.

How has China lifting its ‘Zero-COVID’ policy affected case counts?

According to BBC News, it has not been revealed when all of the infections took place, but most infections likely took place in the past few weeks as China lifted its “zero-COVID” policy.

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China’s ‘zero-COVID’ policy, and why China still enforces it, explained

Virus cases in China have increased rapidly after the country eased up on its strict COVID-19 restriction measures following large-scale protests, the Deseret News reported.

Why did Beijing reopen its borders?

As China eases its COVID-19 restrictions, Beijing opened its borders for the first time in three years Sunday, allowing travelers in without requiring them to quarantine, per Reuters.

Travelers will still be required to have a negative COVID-19 test within the last 48 hours before entering Beijing, according to CNN.

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