China gradually eases its drastic zero covid policy

Businesses reopened and coronavirus testing requirements were eased Monday in Beijing and other cities Chinawhich began to gradually relax the strict zero COVID policy, the source of a wave of protests across the country.

local authorities throughout China began a slow retreat from the restrictions in place in recent years, prompted by government orders to adopt new ways to combat the coronavirus.

Look: China: the turn of the press in the face of COVID-19 after years of alarming the population

In the capital Beijing, where many businesses are fully open, a negative virus test taken within the last 48 hours is no longer required to board public transport.

In Shanghai, the country’s financial hub, which endured a two-month lockdown this year, residents were able to return to open spaces like parks and tourist sites without the need for a recent test.

This Tuesday, the measure was extended to a large number of public places, except medical centers, hospitals, schools, restaurants, bars and nursing homes.

Neighboring Hangzhou went further, abolishing mass testing for its 10 million people, except for those who visit or live in nursing homes, schools and kindergartens.

In the northwestern city of Urumqi, where a fire that killed 10 people catalyzed the wave of protests against the lockdowns, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and ski resorts reopened on Monday.

The city of more than four million people in the Xinjiang region faced one of the longest lockdowns in China, with some parts closed from August to November.

Authorities in Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected in 2019, and in Shandong on Sunday lifted the testing requirement for using public transportation.

And Zhengzhou, home to the world’s largest iPhone factory, announced Sunday that people will be able to access public places, take public transportation and enter residential buildings without requiring a 48-hour COVID test.

protest in wuhan

The World Health Organization applauded the relaxation of China’s “zero COVID” policy, after hundreds of people took to the streets in several cities to demand greater political freedoms and an end to lockdowns.

But while some rules have been relaxed, the Chinese security apparatus has quickly prevented more protests, with more internet censorship and more surveillance of the population. This has not prevented some sporadic demonstrations from being held.

Nearly 300 Wuhan University students demonstrated on campus Sunday night, according to videos posted on social media and testimony from a participant.

Concentrated in front of the main administrative building of the university, the students peacefully protested against the sanitary measures related to exams and school holidays, a witness explained to AFP.

At this time, the center does not allow students or staff to freely leave the campus grounds.

tone down

Until now, the Chinese state press had focused on highlighting the dangers of COVID, but given the relief of the measures, it decided to change the tone.

The Yicai business media quoted an unnamed health expert on Sunday as arguing that strict sanitary rules should be toned down.

“Most of those infected are asymptomatic (…) and mortality is very low“said the expert.

The Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) establishes categories of diseases according to their mortality and contagiousness.

Since January 2020, it has kept COVID under category A protocols, which give local governments the power to impose lockdowns and quarantine infected people.

Although some testing centers have been dismantled, long lines formed in front of those that remain, forcing residents to wait in the winter cold for the COVID tests that remain mandatory in much of China.

“Students cannot go to class without a 24-hour negative test”wrote a user of the Weibo social network.

“Why close test centers before completely eliminating the requirement to show test results”asked another user.

China reported 29,724 new local infections of COVID-19 on Monday.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.