Beijing crematoriums strain under China Covid wave

Epidemic-prevention workers in protective suits line up to get swab tested as Covid-19 outbreaks continue in Beijing. - Reuters

BEIJING (AFP): Workers at Beijing crematoriums said Friday (Dec 16) they are overwhelmed as China faces a surge in Covid cases that authorities warn could hit its underdeveloped rural hinterland during upcoming public holidays.

Covid-19 is spreading rapidly across China after three years of strict containment measures ended last week, with health authorities now admitting the true scale of the outbreak is "impossible" to track.