NOT LOOKING GOOD

Satellite Images Show Chinese Funeral Homes Much Busier During COVID Outbreak

Officially, a few dozen people have died with COVID since restrictions ended last month. Pictures taken from orbit tell a different story.

Funeral homes and crematoriums across China have seen a surge in activity since Beijing ended its strict “zero-COVID” measures last month, satellite images show. According to an analysis from The Washington Post, space cameras recorded increased activity at funeral homes in six cities in China after the measures were dropped. The Chinese government insists that fewer than 40 people have died with COVID since the stringent pandemic controls were suddenly dropped on Dec. 7. But international health experts fear the true toll may be much higher, with Chinese social media awash with reports of overwhelmed crematoriums and truly staggering infection rates admitted by local officials.