China is facing a “very difficult” time as it dismantles its strict “zero-COVID” policy and enables people to live with the virus, posing challenges in preparing hospitals and ensuring people are sufficiently protected, the ministry said. World Health Organization.
Beijing abruptly abandoned its zero-tolerance stance last week after protests against its often draconian COVID lockdowns. The change, welcomed by many within the country, has also fueled concerns that infections may rise.
When asked about the policy changes on Tuesday, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a news conference in Geneva that China was facing “a very tough and difficult time”.
CHINESE ‘ZERO-COVID’ POLICY COULD BE XI’S RUIN
“It’s always very difficult for any country to get out of a situation where you’ve had very, very tight controls,” he said, adding that other countries like Australia have experienced this.
“We’ve always said before: don’t go into isolation too easily too fast because it’s really, really hard to get out of.”
Chinese citizens with masks outside the Shanghai railway station. China has begun to roll back COVID measures which has drawn the ire of both its citizens and the international community
(REUTERS/Aly Song)
Among the challenges are ensuring that the population is “properly vaccinated” and preparing hospitals for both a potential surge in cases and a potential influx of people who may become infected with other diseases.
“There are many, many things you need to put in place at the community level, at the hospital level, at the national level to keep this transition going,” Harris added.
WHO typically refrains from commenting on individual countries’ policies, although the agency’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in May that China’s COVID policies were not sustainable.
PROTEST IN CHINA ARE MUCH MORE THAN COVID LOCKDOWNS
WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan said earlier this month that he was pleased China was adjusting its strategy and urged it to continue to increase vaccination coverage.
Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at Britain’s University of East Anglia, said many people in China were vaccinated too long ago to have adequate protection.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“He has effectively lost the benefits of his vaccination campaign. Not entirely but largely,” he told Reuters. “And so she’s in a really tough position.”
