Residents of Beijing, the Chinese capital, have been allowed to enter parks, supermarkets and offices without showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test as part of a relaxation of some of the strictest measures in the world. world against the virus.
The last month has seen intense anti-lockdown protests representing the biggest show of public discontent on the mainland since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.
“Beijing is preparing for life again,” read a headline in the government-run China Daily newspaper.
The attached article says people are “gradually embracing” their restored freedoms.
People don’t need a negative anymore covid try taking the metro or getting into one of the city’s airports. However, no changes have been suggested to the rules requiring passengers to show negative tests before boarding.
The Chinese yuan has risen around 5% against the dollar since early November amid expectations of a possible reopening of China economy.
But a response to the changes has been slow to materialize on the ground, with commuter traffic in major cities such as Beijing and Chongqing remaining at fractions of normal levels.
Some remain cautious about the possibility of catching the virus, especially the elderly, and there are worries about the impact easing restrictions could have on China’s fragile healthcare system.
China yesterday reported 5,235 COVID-related deaths, but some experts warn the toll could top one million if it eases measures too quickly.
China heads for life with virus
Officials have played down the dangers posed by the virus, bringing China closer to what other countries have been saying for more than a year as they choose to live with the virus and abandon restrictions.
Director of the Institute of Respiratory Diseases in Beijing, Tong Zhaohui, said the latest variant of Omicron caused fewer cases of serious illness than the 2009 global flu epidemic, according to Chinese state television.
Reuters reported that China’s handling of the virus could be downgraded as early as January to a less stringent Category B, from the current top-tier infectious disease Category A.
People line up to buy fever and cold medicine in Beijing
People line up at a nucleic acid testing site to get tested for COVID-19 in Beijing
“The most difficult period has passed”
“The most difficult period has passed,” the official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary, citing the weakening of the pathogenicity of the virus and efforts to vaccinate 90% of the population.
People no longer need a negative COVID test to take the metro
Meanwhile, prominent commentator Hu Xijin called for more measures to allow people to travel freely across the country.
“The general direction for the return to normal life is already very clear, and restoring the free movement of people across the provinces is essential to restoring the economy,” wrote the former tabloid editor. Global Times State. in a blog post.
