State media on Wednesday rallied citizens for a "final victory" over Covid-19 as there continue to be calls for Beijing to release data about the spread of the virus.

In an editorial, the People’s Daily said "China and the Chinese people will surely win the final victory against the epidemic."

It came after World Health Organization officials met Chinese scientists on Tuesday amid global concern over the accuracy of the mainland's data on the spread and evolution of its outbreak.

The UN agency had invited the scientists to present detailed data on viral sequencing and to share data on hospitalisations, deaths and vaccinations.

China officially reported five new Covid-19 deaths for January 3, compared with three a day earlier, bringing the official death toll to 5,258.

Meanwhile, the head of the world's biggest airline trade body criticised travel restrictions against travellers from China in a statement published on Wednesday, arguing that such measures had proven to be ineffective in preventing the spread of Covid-19.

"It is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years," said IATA director general Willie Walsh. (Reuters)
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Last updated: 2023-01-04 HKT 17:25