Snap Insight: China finally acknowledges difficulties of zero-COVID for its people
The socioeconomic costs and psychological trauma of China’s zero-COVID measures have become unbearable, finally making Beijing loosen restrictions, says East Asian Institute’s Chen Gang.
SINGAPORE: Public grievances over China’s zero-COVID policy, which ignited unprecedented mass protests in more than a dozen cities, finally made the government loosen its restrictions that lasted for almost three years.
While the rest of the world has largely learnt to live with the virus, China, where the first COVID-19 case was reported, has just started to ponder this option.
China’s National Health Commission on Wednesday (Dec 7) announced the frequency and scope of PCR testing will be reduced, while lockdowns will be limited as much as possible.
The central government is requiring local authorities to free areas that show no positive cases after five days, and to allow people with non-severe COVID-19 infections to isolate at home instead of appointed facilities.
People will no longer be required to show a green health code on their phone to enter most public buildings and spaces, and China will accelerate the vaccination of the elderly, long seen as a major obstacle to relaxing COVID-19 rules.
