Severe Pandemic Causes High Death Toll; Provinces Allow Burials to Ease Pressure on Funeral Homes

In January 2025, hospitals in Sichuan and Jiangsu were overcrowded. (Video screenshot)

[People News] Since the end of last year, multiple provinces and cities across China have experienced outbreaks of various influenza strains. Many hospitals have been overwhelmed, and the number of deaths due to illness has surged, leading to funeral homes and crematoriums reaching full capacity. To alleviate the pressure on cremation facilities, several provinces have quietly allowed burials as an alternative. Some overseas netizens have pointed out that despite the severity of the outbreak—evident from numerous videos showing overcrowded hospitals—very few people are wearing masks. This has led to suspicions that the government has either failed to provide adequate public health guidance or is deliberately covering up the true scale of the pandemic.

According to reports from Dajiyuan, Mr. Hua (华) from Tangshan, Hebei, mentioned that local large hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, and crematoriums are struggling to handle the number of deceased. His hometown is in the countryside, where many people have recently passed away. Securing cremation services has become a matter of connections, creating an apocalyptic atmosphere. The deceased include elderly individuals, middle-aged people, and young adults. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the community, with his sixth aunt succumbing to the virus. However, the government restricts media coverage on such issues.

Mr. Wang (王), a resident of Shijiazhuang, also reported that numerous locals have died, resulting in a coffin shortage and soaring prices. A coffin that typically costs 4,000 yuan is now being sold for 12,000 yuan. With the high number of deaths, coffins are currently difficult to obtain.

Mr. Yao (姚), another resident of Shijiazhuang, stated, "People are still getting infected with COVID-19; it’s merely being rebranded with names like H1N1. The symptoms are quite severe, and those who have died include individuals in their fifties, sixties, and even seventies." He further noted, "The streets are particularly quiet and desolate now; there are very few people in both the countryside and the city. It certainly feels like there are significantly fewer people around. The subway and public transport are nearly empty, and there’s no traffic congestion when driving anymore."

Mr. Xiao Chen (小陈), a worker at a coffin factory in Zhejiang, revealed that the local epidemic is severe, leading to the loss of many young and middle-aged lives. Various industries are laying off workers due to a lack of business, but the funeral industry is working overtime and hiring more staff. In the last two years, seven or eight new coffin factories have opened in the area, with coffins being shipped across the country. Many people did not return home for the New Year and are working tirelessly to meet the demand.

Zhang Xiong (pseudonym), who works in the funeral industry in Jinzhai County, Lu'an, Anhui, reported that many people have died around the time of the Chinese New Year. "I have a work group where we report daily deaths, which range from twenty to thirty, mostly among the elderly. There are also some middle-aged and young individuals. The crematorium business is thriving. We have recently built a large funeral home here, with over ten furnaces operating every day." 

Mr. Zhang attributes the increase in deaths over the past few years to the government's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination campaign from previous years. He noted that those who received the vaccine, primarily Sinovac, have generally experienced weakened immunity. Even elderly residents living in remote mountainous areas were brought to their homes to receive vaccinations. Some individuals developed fevers after vaccination, while others experienced weakness and loss of appetite, with various health issues reported, including fatalities. 

Mr. Li from Zhumadian, Henan, revealed, "Due to the rising number of deaths, many funeral homes have added more cremation furnaces. In populous provinces like Henan, Anhui, and Jiangxi, there is a trend of quietly relaxing traditional burial practices. With burials, the pressure on crematoriums decreases. Previously, rural areas had strict regulations requiring cremation instead of burial, but now these requirements have been eased, and many places are allowing traditional burials."

Ms. Han, a villager from Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, shared that during the pandemic, Falun Gong practitioners in her village advised her to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Youth League, and the Young Pioneers, and to recite the nine-character mantra "Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good" for good fortune. Her family has been reciting it daily and has remained safe and healthy.

Mr. Wu, a resident of Jingzhou, Hubei, expressed that after learning the truth about Falun Gong, he chose to withdraw from the organizations of the Chinese Communist Party and has been reciting the nine-character mantra daily, which has kept him in good health. 'Currently, the northern regions are experiencing relentless outbreaks, with long lines at crematoriums. I recite the nine-character mantra constantly and feel fantastic.' 

Some netizens from abroad remarked: 'There are so many viruses in the country; every time I return, I end up getting sick several times over a few months.' 'Some individuals are investing in virus research institutes, while others are putting money into hospitals. If these two groups are connected, then this flu will continue to emerge. Natural mutations cannot compete with the speed of artificially engineered viruses, which can be tailored and harvested as needed.'