Shanghai and Urumqi to reopen markets and ease restrictions on public transport
Chinese cities, in addition to the monetary hub of Shanghai and Urumqi in the west, announced a relaxation of coronavirus brakes after unprecedented protests against zero covid restrictions last weekend.
Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region and the center of the first protests, will reopen shopping malls, markets, restaurants and shopping venues from Monday, the government said, ending strict closures for months.
There were no symptoms of significant unrest over the weekend, police were in effect in Beijing’s Liangmaqiao district and Shanghai around Wulumuqi Road, which passes through the so-called Urumqi. A week ago, protests were held at both sites.
A fatal chimney last month in Urumqi sparked protests in more than 20 cities, following claims on social media that patients simply cannot escape the chimney because its construction was closed.
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees covid policy, said last week that the virus’ ability to cause illness is weakening, a substitution in messaging that appears to have allowed measures to ease restrictions in some cities.
Residents of Zhengzhou, the central city and home to the world’s largest iPhone factory, which was rocked last month by violent unrest, will no longer have to exhibit control effects to take public transport or taxis or stop in “public spaces,” the government said. on Sunday. Karaoke bars, good-looking lounges, internet cafes and other enclosed places can reopen, but they will have to check consumers for a negative 48-hour verification result.
In Shanghai, starting Monday, a negative check will no longer be required for public shipments and park stopovers, the government said Sunday. Elsewhere, Nanning, the capital of Guangxi’s southern region, and Wuhan, the central city where the pandemic began in 2019. , on Sunday waived the requirement of a negative check to take the subway.
Some inconsistencies as restrictions are eased have angered people, adding a requirement in some places for negative Covid control even if mass hubs are closed.
In Beijing and Wuhan, this led to long queues at the few remaining control booths. “Are they stupid or just plain disgusting?” One user asked on social media, “We don’t close Covid checkstations until we get rid of the Covid verification pass. “
The number of cases has dropped to 31,824 nationwide, the government said Sunday, possibly due in part to fewer people being tested. Authorities also reported two new covid deaths.
Despite the easing of restrictions, many experts said China is unlikely to begin a meaningful reopening until March at the earliest, given the desire to ramp up vaccines, especially among its gigantic elderly population.
“While there have been some local adjustments to covid policies lately, we do not interpret them as China abandoning the zero covid policy for now,” Goldman Sachs said in a note Sunday.
Estimates of the number of deaths there could be in China if it turns toward a full reopening diversity of 1. 3 million to more than 2 million, some researchers have said the number of deaths could be reduced particularly if vaccination is strengthened.