People line up at a fever clinic of a hospital, after the government gradually loosens the restrictions on the Covid-19 control, in Wuhan, on Dec 10.BAODING, China – When Li tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday in Baoding in northern China, he braced for a five-day quarantine at a makeshift local hospital as part of the country's strict pandemic controls.
But the sudden policy shift caught him off guard – left on his own, he had no medication at home to treat his fever. But Beijing's abrupt policy shift on Wednesday, cheered by some, also sparked apprehension in a country with a relatively low vaccination rate where people had been taught to fear the disease.
Baoding is not alone. Online pharmacies across China have run out of drugs and test kits, prompting the government to crack down on hoarding. China has 138,100 hospital beds for critical care, a health official said recently, low for China's vast population.And just as more Covid patients are recovering at home, Baoding has been hit by a winter heating supply crunch, adding to the risk of serious illness. Heat was insufficient because of "unstable" coal supplies caused by Covid, state-run Baoding Daily reported, without giving details.
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