COVID-19 cases increasing in China

Chinese health authorities on Monday announced two more COVID-19 deaths as the country braced for an expected surge of illnesses. Health authorities fear a wave of new cases, and Western health officials say the effectiveness of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines is questionable.

How reliable are China’s COVID-19 numbers? In total, China has reported just over 5,000 deaths tied to COVID, but global experts say the communist government’s reporting is suspect. Privately, funeral business workers and relatives of the dead say deaths are rising.

Dig deeper: Read Erica Kwong’s report on frustration over China’s zero-COVID policy.