WHO urges China to regularly share specific and real-time data on COVID-19 situation

The World Health Organization has again urged China to regularly share specific and real-time data on the COVID-19 situation in the country, amid a surge in coronavirus cases after Beijing relaxed its strict zero-COVID policy.

A high-level meeting took place between officials from WHO and China on the current surge in COVID-19 cases to seek further information on the situation, and to offer WHO's expertise and further support, a WHO statement said on Friday.

WHO again asked for regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation including more genetic sequencing data, data on disease impact including hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths -and data on vaccinations delivered and vaccination status, especially in vulnerable people and those over 60 years old, it added.

Chinese scientists are invited to engage more closely in WHO-led COVID-19 expert networks including the COVID-19 clinical management network, the WHO statement said.

It said that the WHO has invited Chinese scientists to present detailed data on viral sequencing at a meeting of the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution on January 3.

WHO stressed the importance of monitoring and the timely publication of data to help China and the global community to formulate accurate risk assessments and to inform effective responses, it said.

China's health officials on Friday discussed with the WHO experts the current surge of the COVID-19 cases in the country after the organisation's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus asked Beijing to share more information.