In China, after last weekend’s anti-government protests, other major cities are lifting corona rules. In Ürümqi – the starting point of the protests – shopping malls, markets and restaurants are expected to reopen on Monday, local authorities said on Sunday. In Nanning, capital of Guangxi Province, in the south of the country, the subway can also be used again without showing a negative test. Shanghai will partially lift the testing requirement on Monday.
Officials said on Sunday that residents of the financial metropolis will no longer need to submit a negative test result within 48 hours to use public transport and enter outdoor areas such as parks and tourist attractions. The city, which has a population of over 23 million, has been closed for months this year, severely affecting the domestic economy.
Shanghai is following the example of several Chinese cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen and Chengdu, which suspended public transport tests on Saturday. In the capital Beijing, medicine for fever, cough and sore throat can once again be purchased unregistered by name. Test stations were closed in many places. However, a negative corona test is still required to enter offices and public buildings. Long queues therefore continued to form at the few remaining test stations.
No uniform approach
When it comes to easing, not all regions do it the same way. The northeastern city of Jinzhou, for example, announced on Thursday that it would maintain the lockdown because “it would be a shame if we can’t achieve zero Covid”. The next day, after public outcry, she withdrew the ad.
Officials in the eastern city of Jinan said Sunday residents still need to scan a health code and show a negative test result to use public restrooms.
The number of new infections in China continued to fall on Sunday, but that could also be due to lower testing numbers. Authorities reported 31,824 new cases, down from 32,827 on Saturday. The highest number of new infections in a year since the start of the pandemic was just over 40,000 a few days ago. Two other people died in connection with the virus. The death toll since the start of the pandemic has risen to 5,235.
Despite the easing, experts surmise that a fundamental departure from China’s Covid-zero policy cannot be expected before March. Instead, the Chinese leadership is trying to downplay the economic and social impact of its policies, according to an analysis by Goldman Sachs, for example.
Strong criticism of the regime
This past weekend, there were protests in many cities across China against President Xi Jinping’s strict interpretation of the Covid-zero policy. This is based in particular on relatively long and rigid locks. However, this is slowing the world’s second-largest economy, and this year’s expected growth is likely to be one of the weakest in nearly half a century.
People are less and less willing to bow to measures. The recent wave of civil disobedience is unprecedented. His starting point was Ürümqi, capital of the Xinjiang region in western China. One of the longest lockdowns was imposed there: many of the four million inhabitants were not allowed to leave their homes for up to 100 days. After ten people died in a fire in a high-rise building, people protested the strict corona rules. On social media, the opinion spread that the building was partially locked and that many residents were unable to get out in time.
There were no signs of further major protests this weekend. However, security precautions have been increased in Beijing and Shanghai, for example. Police increased patrols in areas where demonstrations took place.
Insistence on domestic vaccines
During the protests, the Chinese government announced that it would increase the pace of vaccinations against the coronavirus. In particular, those over 80 years of age should be immunized. It was announced in Chinese state media on Sunday. Many have doubts about the safety and effectiveness of Chinese vaccines, according to an editorial in the People’s Daily, a newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. “According to experts, this view is wrong.” Vaccines developed in China are safe. No foreign vaccines are approved in China. According to the US, China will fulfill it. President Xi is unwilling to accept vaccines from abroad, national intelligence chief Avril Haines said on Saturday. (apa, Portal, afp)