COVID-19 pandemic in China

For specific details by region or territory, see COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, COVID-19 pandemic in Macau, and COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan.

COVID-19 pandemic in China
Rolling average of confirmed COVID-19 cases per day in mainland China
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationChina
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei[1]
Index case1 December 2019
(4 years, 11 months and 3 weeks ago)
Recovered309,259[2]
Vaccinations
  • 1,318,026,800[3] (total vaccinated)
  • 1,284,479,600[3] (fully vaccinated)
  • 3,516,880,600[3] (doses administered)
History of the People's Republic of China
National emblem of the People's Republic of China
1949–1976: Mao era
1976–1989: Deng era
1989–2002: Jiang era
2002–2012: Hu era
2012–present: Xi era
flag China portal

The COVID-19 pandemic in China is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). China was the first country to experience an outbreak of the disease, the first to impose drastic measures in response (including lockdowns and face mask mandates), and one of the first countries to bring the outbreak under control.

The first wave of the disease manifested as the 2019–2020 COVID-19 outbreak in mainland China, beginning with a cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases, mostly related to the Huanan Seafood Market, in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. It was first reported to the local government on 27 December 2019, and published on 31 December. On 8 January 2020, a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified as the cause of the pneumonia by Chinese scientists.[4] By 29 January, the virus was found to have spread to all provinces of mainland China.[5][6][7] The virus was first confirmed to have spread to Hong Kong on 23 January 2020, thus originating the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.[8] Confirmed cases were generally transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital's Infectious Disease Centre for isolation and centralized treatment. On 5 February, after a five-day strike by front-line medical workers, the Hong Kong government closed all but three border control points – Hong Kong International Airport, Shenzhen Bay Control Point, and Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Control Point remaining open. The first case of the disease in Macau was confirmed on 22 January 2020, originating the COVID-19 pandemic in Macau. The city saw nine more cases by 4 February, but no more cases until 15 March, when imported cases began to appear.[9] Until 26 April 2021, the city had 49 cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19, all of those having recovered, and no deaths from the disease.[10] Stringent government measures[11] have included the 15-day closure of all 81 casinos in the territory in February; in addition, effective 25 March, the territory disallowed connecting flights at its airport as well as entry by all non-residents (with the exception of residents of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), and from 6 April, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge was closed to public transport and most other traffic.

  1. ^ Sheikh, Knvul; Rabin, Roni Caryn (10 March 2020). "The Coronavirus: What Scientists Have Learned So Far". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  2. ^ 截至12月8日24时新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情最新情况 (in Chinese (China)). National Health Commission. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Mathieu, Edouard; Ritchie, Hannah; Rodés-Guirao, Lucas; Appel, Cameron; Giattino, Charlie; Hasell, Joe; Macdonald, Bobbie; Dattani, Saloni; Beltekian, Diana; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Roser, Max (2020–2024). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  4. ^ Khan, Natasha (9 January 2020). "New Virus Discovered by Chinese Scientists Investigating Pneumonia Outbreak". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  5. ^ 眾新聞 | 【武漢肺炎大爆發】西藏首宗確診 全國淪陷 內地確診累計7711宗 湖北黃岡疫情僅次武漢. 眾新聞 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  6. ^ Chappell, Bill (30 January 2020). "Coronavirus Has Now Spread To All Regions Of mainland China". NPR. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Coronavirus declared global health emergency". BBC News. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  8. ^ Cheung, Elizabeth (22 January 2020). "China coronavirus: death toll almost doubles in one day as Hong Kong reports its first two cases". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020.
  9. ^ Keegan, Matthew (24 March 2020). "Lessons From Macau, the Densely Populated Region Beating Back COVID-19". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Macao Government Special webpage against Epidemics". Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Macau. Archived from the original on 20 May 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  11. ^ Lou, Loretta (26 March 2021). "Casino capitalism in the era of COVID-19: examining Macau's pandemic response". Social Transformations in Chinese Societies. 17 (2): 69–79. doi:10.1108/STICS-09-2020-0025. S2CID 233650925. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2021.