The Chinese government has stated that the country is facing a new phase of the pandemic that will require it to adjust its approach, a sign that its government might, despite everything, move away from its strict adherence to a zero-covid policy of severe lockdowns. and has provoked unprecedented public protests in all parts of the country.
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who is leading the country’s response to the pandemic, told the country’s National Health Commission on Wednesday that they were facing a “new situation” as they faced a virus whose “pathogenicity” was weakening as vaccination rates rose.
Sun suggested fitness officials improve testing, remedy, and quarantine measures while stepping up vaccination efforts for the elderly.
Sun’s leadership made no mention of zero-Covid, China’s current strategy to combat the virus through strict lockdowns and repeated mass testing.
According to Reuters, Guangzhou officials began lifting blockades in parts of the city just a day after large protests erupted at the production center where crowds of protesters clashed with marching police on Tuesday night.
Another update in the plan is to allow others with asymptomatic infections and others who have been in close contact with other inflamed people to quarantine at home from a government facility, the report adds.
Officials made no mention of ongoing protests opposing the zero-covid approach, though it has most likely served as a catalyst for change.
China continues to see a large accumulation of new Covid-19 cases. The country reported 36,061 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, adding to the country’s record, reported earlier this week. However, the steady infection rate with the capita in China remains particularly lower than in most Western countries, adding the United States.
As daily covid-19 numbers reached record levels, the effectiveness of the zero covid strategy was called into question. Growing public discontent with the technique reached boiling point last week after a chimney at a high-rise residential building in the closed city of western China. Urumqi killed 10 people. The tragedy raised questions about emergency services being hampered by barriers erected around buildings and roads due to zero covid measures. This has sparked unprecedented public protests against the government and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with some demonstrators calling for his resignation.
The biggest challenge China faces in reversing its strict lockdown policies is low vaccine use among the elderly. Only 65. 7 percent of people over 80 have been fully vaccinated, and an even smaller number, 40 percent, have received boosters, according to state-controlled China. Diario reported. Earlier this week, China’s National Health Commission unveiled plans for vaccination rates among the elderly. These plans come with the creation of more vaccination centers in spaces frequented by the elderly and the legal liability of others who refuse to get vaccinated to provide a reason.
China softens tone on severity of COVID after protests (Reuters)
China’s Zero Covid Strategy: What It Is, Why People Protest, and What’s Next (Forbes)
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