While officials in China continue to downplay the seriousness of the fourth wave of the coronavirus, frightening videos from Chinese hospitals have surfaced on social media.
The remarks made by officials asserting that the situation is under control stand in stark contrast to these videos.
A Chinese independent journalist named Jennifer Zeng posted a video in which dead bodies were seen bound together and wrapped in blue plastic bags.
The hospital floor was shown to be covered by a mass of bodies that appeared to be lying flat. The manner in which China was managing the dangerous fourth wave brought on by fresh viral varieties was called into doubt by the video.
Growing anxiety in the capital Beijing
Also, there is growing anxiety in the capital Beijing, especially the sprawling Chaoyang district, home of the country's top leadership, besides the elite as the caseload in the district climbed to 1,648, perhaps the highest in recent times.
As the virus cases continue to climb for the past two weeks, city officials resorted to lockdowns of huge apartment blocks and commercial buildings, confining people to their flats.
Among those restricted to their homes were some Indian families who were told not to step out until November 27.
They were being provided with food supplies at their doorstep.
Officials here were in a quandary over the sharp spikes as the rise of COVID cases comes following last month's 20th Congress of the ruling Communist Party which re-elected President Xi Jinping, who is a firm advocate of zero-COVID policy.
