Spirits have been dampened in China ahead of the Lunar New Year which begins on January 22, 2023. For some residents, what was supposed to be a time for celebration to welcome the Year of the Rabbit is instead being spent mourning loved ones who died in the ongoing Covid-19 wave. On January 14, 2023, the country reported nearly 60,000 Covid-related deaths since December 2022 when the nation eased pandemic restrictions.