Tag: COVID-19 Pandemic

Beijing —  China’s top health body said Wednesday the true scale of coronavirus infections in the country is now “impossible” to track, with officials warning cases are rising rapidly in Beijing after the government abruptly abandoned its zero-COVID policy. Beijing’s decision to scrap mass testing and quarantines after nearly three years of attempting to stamp out the virus has led to a corresponding drop in officially reported infections, which hit an all-time high only last month. But those numbers no longer reflected reality because testing is no longer required for…

Wuhan, China —  Infections are delivering a fresh kick in the teeth for many small businesses in China’s central city of Wuhan, despite the easing of most stringent curbs last week. With the sick and those fearing infection keeping to their homes, hopes of brighter prospects after the end of lockdowns are evaporating, at least for now, with the government showing few signs of stepping in to help. “I simply can’t go on,” said Zhu Chongping, 60, as he looked around his empty restaurant, which dishes up regional cuisine in…

Beijing —  People queued on Monday outside fever clinics at China’s hospitals to check if they had COVID-19, a new sign of the rapid spread of symptoms after authorities began dismantling stringent measures against the disease. Three years into the pandemic, China is moving slowly to align with a world that has largely begun to live with COVID, making a major policy change last Wednesday after unprecedented protests of its stifling curbs. It has dropped testing prior to many activities, limited quarantine and is preparing on Monday to de-activate a…

Washington —  Days after protesters took to the streets of China over Beijing’s strict “zero-COVID” policy, experts say the government may soon face bigger COVID-19 containment challenges than those that came with three years of locking down entire cities. On Thursday morning, China’s State Health Administration reported a record number of locally transmitted infections: 43,218 cases. The surge in reported cases came just one day after the central government issued 10 “new measures,” loosening almost every zero-COVID control. The wide-ranging new measures permit people with mild or no symptoms and…

Beijing —  China’s National Health Commission announced on Wednesday the most significant relaxation of its COVID-19 prevention and control protocols since the pandemic erupted three years ago. Rules covering quarantine, people movement, lockdowns and testing were loosened, and other aspects of policy were also adjusted. The main changes are listed below: High-risk areas must be accurately designated by buildings, units, floors, and households, and cannot be arbitrarily expanded to residential compounds and communities. Mass COVID testing cannot be carried out by administrative regions. Scope and frequency of testing should be…

China announced on Wednesday the most sweeping changes to its tough anti-COVID regime since the pandemic began three years ago, loosening rules that curbed the spread of the virus but had hobbled the world’s second largest economy and sparked protests. The relaxation of rules, which include allowing infected people with mild or no symptoms to quarantine at home and dropping testing for people travelling within the country, are the strongest sign yet that Beijing is preparing its 1.4 billion people to live with the disease. Even though its borders remain…

Hong Kong —  More Chinese cities have been announcing an easing of curbs following unprecedented protests against the harsh “zero-COVID” policies in China last weekend. But loosening harsh quarantine policies brings other risks, as health experts warn China must boost vaccination rates, especially among the elderly, and prepare hospitals and medical staff or risk a massive number of deaths. Ben Cowling, chair professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health, said other countries have experiences Beijing can learn from. “Until recently, they haven’t been thinking…