• In a significant softening of its zero-Covid policy, China claims that the majority of patients with Covid will now be able to quarantine at home rather than in state facilities.
• Now, people with minor or no symptoms can remain at home and self-report their findings.
• The reforms are implemented just one week after nationwide civil unrest over pandemic controls broke out.

Now, people with minor or no symptoms can remain at home and self-report their findings.

The reforms are implemented just one week after nationwide civil unrest over pandemic controls broke out.

With the exception of hospitals and schools, most public spaces no longer require PCR tests.

The country is attempting to “live with the virus,” as is the situation in other parts of the world, and this is the clearest indication yet that it is abandoning its rigorous zero-Covid policy. This occurs when the nation experiences its largest wave of infections, with over 30,000 occurring daily.

Up until this point, China had made everyone who had a close contact with someone who was infected with Covid go to quarantine camps. Because it uprooted people from their homes and divided families, this programme had a very low level of support.

Guards have been seen hauling people out of their homes in videos all year, including a popular video from Hangzhou last week that showed a man rebuffing authorities.

Other new guidelines relaxing limitations across the country were also issued by health authorities on Wednesday. According to the National Health Commission:

Instead than applying restrictions like lockdowns to an entire neighbourhood or city, more specific regions should be targeted, such as specific buildings, apartments, or floors.
If no other instances are discovered after five days, the locations with high risk should be let out of lockdown.
If there isn’t a larger campus outbreak, schools should stay open.
The new standards said that people have to be able to seek emergency medical care and escape routes without being hampered by pandemic control efforts. They also contained a stringent prohibition on blocking fire exits and doors.

It comes after reports of people being locked inside their homes and buildings being evacuated.

A fatal fire in the western Xinjiang province sparked the most recent protests; detractors claim lockdown procedures prevented the victims from fleeing the building, but Beijing disputes this. Additionally, there have been numerous complaints of emergency medical attention for persons in closed-off areas being delayed.

Authorities also emphasised the importance of vaccinating seniors more quickly.

According to a statement from health officials, “all areas should abide by… focus on enhancing the vaccination rate of those aged 60-79, speeding the vaccination rate of people aged 80 and above, and making special measures.”

Zero-Covid, a regulation that has restricted people’s life in China for three years, was repealed after the nation had its largest protests in decades in late November. People protested lockdowns and pandemic restrictions in a number of cities.

Given the nation’s intolerance for political dissent, protests in certain locations also turned into outright criticism of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.
Since the demonstrations on November 24–26, Chinese officials have already started to soften their rhetoric over Covid’s hazards and have loosened lockdown in several cities.

Sun Chunlan, the vice-premier of the nation, warned last week that the pandemic in China was approaching “a new condition” and that the virus’ capacity to spread sickness was waning.

Experts have cautioned that any relaxation of zero-Covid in China must be done gradually since the nation of 1.4 billion people may experience a sharp increase in cases that could strain its healthcare system.

The senior population needs to be immunised more quickly, according to health experts.

Prof. Ivan Hung from Hong Kong University told earlier this week that immunisation is “the key way for China to quit Covid with the least damage” and that three doses are required.

As there would be a significant flow of people travelling and going home, he added, “Hopefully before Chinese New Year [in January 2023].

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