Beijing Reports First Covid Deaths As China Eases Curbs

Two former Chinese state media journalists have died in the capital Beijing in recent days due to COVID-19, local media reported today, among the first reported fatalities since most epidemic control policies were removed on Dec. 7.

Yang Lianghua, a former People's Daily reporter, died on December 15, aged 74, while Zhou Zhichun, a former China Youth Daily editor, died on December 8, aged 77, according to financial magazine Caixin.

China's national health authority has not reported any official COVID deaths since dismantling many of its domestic epidemic control policies on December 7. The last official deaths were reported on Dec. 3, in Shandong and Sichuan provinces.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)