BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Portal) – More Chinese cities, including Urumqi in the far west, announced easing of coronavirus restrictions on Sunday as China seeks to make its zero-COVID policy more focused and less onerous after unprecedented protests over restrictions last weekend shape.
Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region where protests first broke out, will reopen shopping malls, markets, restaurants and other venues from Monday, ending months of strict lockdowns, authorities said.
There were no signs of significant unrest this weekend, although police were active in Beijing’s Liangmaqiao district and in Shanghai around Wulumuqi Road, which is named after Urumqi. Both sides saw protests a week ago.
A deadly fire last month in Urumqi sparked dozens of COVID curb protests in over 20 cities, after some social media users said victims were unable to escape the fire because their apartment building was blocked. Authorities denied that.
The protests were an unprecedented demonstration of civil disobedience in mainland China since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.
In the past few days, numerous cities have announced easing, testing requirements and quarantine rules.
Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who is overseeing the COVID effort, said last week the virus’ ability to cause disease has weakened – a change in message consistent with what many public health officials around the world have been saying for more than a year to say.
China is expected to announce a nationwide easing of testing requirements, allowing positive cases and close contacts to self-isolate at home under certain conditions, people familiar with the matter told Portal last week.
RULES REPEATED
So far, steps to ease restrictions have varied across the country.
People in Zhengzhou, the central city home to the world’s largest iPhone factory that was rocked by violent unrest last month, will no longer need to show COVID test results to take public transportation, taxis and “public areas” to visit, authorities said on Sunday.
Karaoke bars, beauty salons, internet cafes and other indoor venues can reopen but must check for a negative 48-hour COVID test result.
In Shanghai, a negative COVID test will no longer be required to use public transport and visit parks from Monday, authorities said on Sunday.
Elsewhere, both Nanning, the capital of the southern Guangxi region, and Wuhan, the central city where the 2019 pandemic began, canceled a negative COVID test requirement for the subway on Sunday.
Guangzhou’s Haizhu District, which experienced violent clashes last month, said Sunday it is advising people without COVID symptoms not to get tested for the virus unless they belong to certain special groups, such as front-line workers or those with a red or yellow code.
The authorities in Beijing announced on Saturday that the purchase of medicines for fever, cough and sore throat is no longer subject to registration. The restriction was imposed because authorities believed people were using the drug to hide COVID infections.
Authorities in various districts of the capital have announced in the past few days that people who have tested positive for the virus can go into quarantine at home.
Some inconsistencies in the easing of restrictions have angered people, including requiring a negative COVID test in some places despite the closure of mass testing centers.
In Beijing and Wuhan, this led to long queues at the few remaining test stands.
“Are they stupid or just mean?” asked a social media user. “We shouldn’t close COVID testing stations until we get rid of the COVID test passport.”
The number of daily new cases fell to 31,824 nationwide, authorities said on Sunday, which could be partly due to fewer people being tested. Authorities also reported two new COVID deaths.
“PREPARING FOR ZERO-COVID EXIT”
Xi’s zero-COVID policy has wreaked havoc on the world’s second largest economy and disrupted global supply chains.
China argues the policy, which has nearly closed its borders to travel, is necessary to save lives and prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
Despite the easing of restrictions, many experts said that given the need to ramp up vaccinations, particularly among its large elderly population, China is unlikely to begin any meaningful reopening until March at the earliest.
“Although there have been some local changes to COVID policy recently, we do not interpret them as China abandoning the zero-COVID policy just yet,” Goldman Sachs said in a note Sunday.
“Rather, we see them as clear evidence that the Chinese government is preparing for an exit and is trying to minimize the economic and social costs of COVID control in the meantime.” Preparations may take a few months and there will likely be challenges along the way.”
Estimates of how many deaths China could see if it moves to fully reopening range from 1.3 million to more than 2 million, although some researchers said the death toll could be greatly reduced if the focus was on vaccinations would lie.
Authorities recently announced they would speed up COVID vaccinations for the elderly, but many remain reluctant to get the vaccine.
“Some people have doubts about the safety and effectiveness of the country’s new coronavirus vaccine,” said an article in the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily on Sunday.
“Experts say this perception is wrong,” it said, adding that domestically made vaccines are safe.
Foreign COVID vaccines are not authorized in China and Xi is unwilling to change that, Avril Haines, director of US intelligence, said on Saturday.
Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard; Additional Beijing Newsroom coverage; Edited by Tony Munroe, Lincoln Feast, Kirsten Donovan
Our standards: The Thomson Portal Trust Principles.