Beijing: After nationwide protests, China’s top Covid officials and major cities have indicated a concession in the ‘zero tolerance policy’ in the country. Significantly, there is a strong resentment among the people of China regarding those very strict rules on Covid-19, under which provisions like mass lockdown, continuous testing and quarantining even non-infected people are included.
In addition to the capital Beijing, demonstrations were seen in major cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to a news agency, Sun Chunlan, vice premier at the National Health Commission, said on Wednesday that the outbreak of Omicron infection is decreasing and Immunization rates are improving.
Sun, who played a key role in China’s policy making against the epidemic, said that the country is facing a new situation in the prevention and control of the epidemic. He did not mention the zero-covid policy in his latest remarks, but indicated that strict rules that have brought the economy and daily life to a standstill may be relaxed soon and had tightened restrictive measures in several major cities of China, including Beijing and Shanghai, from 24 November, with partial lockdowns being implemented in some areas due to the worsening of the pandemic situation in the country. Due to the new restrictions, protests were seen across the country.
A few days back also there were reports that Chinese officials are now debating whether the quarantine period for travelers coming from outside should be reduced or not. According to the reports, the people associated with this matter said that due to the country’s zero covid policy, China is getting cut off from the rest of the world.
Officials are now planning to reduce the quarantine period to two days at the hotel and then five days at home upon arrival in China. At present, 10 days of isolation is necessary for passengers arriving in China from foreign travel. In this, 7 days have to be spent in the hotel room and then three days at home. Even at home, those people are monitored and regular tests are done.