Several million Chinese are currently stuck in their homes. That’s because of the country’s strict zero-Covid policy. It is not only the people who suffer from this, but also the economy. The government is now taking the first step towards easing – albeit a very small one.
Despite the increasing number of infections, China is relaxing its strict corona regulations – at least a little. Among other things, the quarantine times for close contacts of infected people will be reduced from seven to five days, as the health authority announced. They also no longer want to try to trace so-called “secondary” contacts – a major nuisance for city dwellers, who can be subject to stipulations if a case is discovered. A penalty for airlines with which infected passengers entered the country is also to be abolished. In addition, the vaccination campaign is to be accelerated, especially for older people.
The new rules are not a relaxation of prevention and control measures, let alone an opening, according to the National Health Commission (NHC). They are just an adaptation to the new situation of epidemic prevention and control and the new characteristics of the coronavirus mutations. The categorization of the corona risk areas has also been adjusted. In the future, a distinction should only be made between “high” and “low” risk. The category “medium” will be abolished. This is intended to reduce the number of people who fall under the control measures.
The Health Commission also announced that it would develop a plan to speed up vaccinations. According to experts, this is urgently needed, since the industrialized countries in particular are far ahead in this regard. The strict zero-Covid policy has weighed heavily on the world’s second largest economy after the United States. The consequences of the lockdowns in metropolises such as Shanghai were also felt economically worldwide.
According to foreign estimates, exit restrictions currently apply to many millions of people who are responsible for around a tenth of economic output. In addition to quarantine upon entry and recurring lockdowns, there are many other restrictions in everyday life. In order to be able to live or shop normally in the megacities, people usually have to prove a negative PCR test on their Corona app that is not older than 48 or 72 hours. They also have to scan themselves with their mobile phones everywhere at the entrance so that their movements can be tracked.
However, the relaxation of the regulations comes at a time when the number of cases has risen to its highest level in months. Beijing and the centrally located city of Zhengzhou are recording record numbers. Authorities reported 10,535 new domestically transmitted cases for Thursday. While that’s a low figure by global standards, it’s the highest in China since April 29, when the commercial hub of Shanghai was battling the worst outbreak and was under a strict lockdown.