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China has more than a million infections and 5,000 deaths from Covid every day. The British health data company Airfinity estimates according to reports from the BBC. The true figure is currently unknown as authorities have stopped releasing data on Covid+ infections and deaths. Despite announcements by the Beijing government that it is easing restrictions, there are reports of collapsing hospitals and a very high number of deaths among the elderly.
Beijing reopens borders
Chinese authorities have backed away from the “zero Covid” policy amid one of the most tumultuous waves since the pandemic began. China is preparing to reopen its borders in January, ending a three-year lockdown that has stalled the economy and sparked widespread unrest. The easing comes at the height of a monstrous spike in cases, with 250 million infections in 20 days and the specter of a million victims in the wave. A change in approach, summed up in President Xi Jinping’s words: “Faced with the new situation, a more focused public health campaign needs to be launched to protect people’s lives,” he said.
No more quarantines and easier visas
More specifically, from January 8, China will no longer impose the quarantine requirement on incoming travelers and will limit itself to requiring a negative swab in the 48 hours before departure. Eight days of self-isolation is currently required, divided into five days in a designated facility and three days at home.
The government has announced that it will facilitate visa applications for various reasons, from studying to family reunification, as well as lifting the limit on international flights and reopening outbound tourism. Management of Covid itself has been downgraded to a minor emergency level, removing the legal justification for the more invasive measures of the “zero Covid” policy. National authorities reiterate that they will continue to monitor the spread of infections and try to eliminate the most insidious outbreaks.
The priority, senior official Liang Wannian said, is to “move from infection prevention and control to treatment, with the aim of ensuring health, preventing serious diseases and enabling a stable and orderly transition while we continue the response.” adapt to the pandemic.” . The China Center for Disease Control and Prevention may also reduce the frequency of releasing the data from a daily update to a monthly release.