The explosion in cases follows Beijing’s decision this month to abandon its former ‘zero-Covid’ policy, which kept the virus at bay through mass testing, mandatory quarantine and draconian lockdowns.⁠ ⁠ In the Chinese capital and other cities, the wave of Covid infections has overwhelmed hospitals with an influx of elderly, bedridden patients and left emergency rooms and intensive care units with few available beds.��Meanwhile, the estimates of 250mn Covid cases raise further doubts about the accuracy of how Beijing accounts for deaths from the disease. ⁠ ⁠ 📷️ Kevin Frayer/Getty Images