The Facts
27 people died and 20 were injured in China when a COVID quarantine bus in the southwest province of Guizhou "flipped onto its side," according to local police.
Only two people have reportedly died from COVID in Guizhou province since the pandemic started. China's "zero-COVID" policy includes mass testing, tracking, and isolating those infected and their close contacts.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
While authorities must pursue the cause of the accident and those at fault must bare responsibility and the consequences, quarantine transfer is an important tool in preventing and controlling the virus. Steps must be taken to correct mistakes, but that doesn't mean the zero-COVID quarantines are the root cause.
Anti-China narrative
Although PRC officials rushed to erase online outrage, there is growing resentment toward the zero-COVID policy which continues to show little sign of long-term success. The situation regarding this "quarantine bus" shows a potential disregard for health and safety and indicates that zero-COVID deserves to be critiqued.
