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Communist Party newspaper warns of COVID complacency for third day
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New instances in China remain minuscule by global standards
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China’s COVID policies are holding back its global economy and industry: IMF
(Adds comments from foreigner trapped in Yunnan province; people give cash rewards to whistleblowers)
By Ryan Woo and Engen Tham
BEIJING, Oct 12 (Reuters) – China will persist in its COVID-19 policy to protect against new strains of coronavirus and the dangers they bring, the official Communist Party newspaper warned in an observation for a third straight day, accelerating hopes for any short-term relief.
“It is advisable to lie down and win (the war against COVID) through lying is possible,” the People’s Daily wrote on Wednesday, referring to a word in China that means to do something.
China is grappling with a COVID resurgence after this month’s National Day “Golden Week” holiday and the emergence of new subvariants of Omicron, the highly transmissible BF. 7, days before a key Party congress where Xi Jinping is expected to expand his leadership.
Some major cities, including Shanghai, have stepped up preventive measures, such as requiring citizens to get more tested for the virus. A city in southwest China has even presented monetary rewards to citizens who report that other people are looking to hide their travel history.
China’s fitness authority on Wednesday reported 1760 new cases for Oct. 11, up from 2,089 the day before. Megacities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xian discovered new cases, even if the numbers were in double digits.
Despite the low number of cases in China for the rest of the world, and the toll its COVID lockdowns and restrictions have taken on the economy and other people, China has suggested to its other people to settle for the measures, reversing any hypotheses that it would. facilitate policies.
“Only by insisting on dynamic elimination (of cases as they occur) can the massive losses resulting from the loss of control of the epidemic to its full extent be avoided,” the People’s Daily wrote.
“Once prevention and epidemic is released, a large number of other people will be inflamed in a short time, a large number of severe cases and deaths will occur, leading to a shortage of medical resources. “
The effect of China’s COVID policies has been felt around the world.
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its economic expansion forecasts for China for 2022 and 2023 to 3. 2% and 4. 4%, respectively, and said common closures of the country’s zero COVID policy have hurt its economy.
Due to the length of China’s economy and its importance to foreign chains, COVID-related disruptions will also weigh on global industry and activity, the IMF said in its latest Economic Outlook. world.
NO POLICY RELAXATION
“I can’t let other people keep thinking it’s going to go down,” said a foreigner applying as an instructor in Shanghai, speaking on condition of anonymity. “My spouse and I officially gave our employers time off this week. We will definitely leave China at the end of our existing contracts in June 2023. “
The two men have been trapped in Xishuangbanna, a tourist destination in subtropical southern Yunnan province, since early October.
At first confined to the community where their hotel was located, they were later forbidden to even leave their hotel room.
This week, they were allowed to leave Xishuangbanna if they test negative for at least 3 days and can take a flight to Shanghai.
But quarantine looms when they return.
“We can’t get into our apartment because it’s cordoned off,” he said. “Our neighbors remain in central quarantine for the maximum of this week. Those flying to Shanghai from Xishuangbanna appear to be quarantined in hotels. “
Elsewhere in Yunnan, a city of 5. 7 million people, Qujing said Monday that citizens who report others seeking to hide in COVID-prone areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang will receive a reward of 500 yuan ($70).
Residents who have close contacts with those travelers will get 2,000 yuan.
If the reported person’s PCR result is positive, they will be given a “high” commendation. ($1 = 7. 1655 Chinese yuan) (Reporting via Ryan Woo and Engen Tham; Editing via Gerry Doyle)