China continues to ease. According to Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, the country is entering “a new phase and mission” and the country is working on new forms of virus prevention and control. Chunlan reportedly told national health officials that, state media Xinhua reported.
“With a less contagious Omicron variant, increased vaccine coverage, and increased expertise in epidemic control and prevention, China’s pandemic containment is entering a new phase and mission,” the Sun reported.
Sun chaired a roundtable of health experts and said China is also taking a “more humane approach” to responding to outbreaks. For several days, Chinese officials have been stressing that the Omicron strain of Covid-19 is less serious.
The easing would include quarantine protocols and mass testing that would take place on a smaller scale, sources told Reuters news agency. The new policy will be revealed in the coming days.
State media are urging the public not to panic over this variant. And with that, Beijing not only takes on a different tone than before, but there will also be a new vaccination campaign for the elderly. More than 90 percent of the Chinese population has had at least two vaccinations, but the percentage drops sharply among the elderly, especially among the over-80s.
China reported 36,061 cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, down slightly from 37,828 on Tuesday. Despite relatively high numbers, some areas have started to ease restrictions.
Ease and repression
On Thursday, 24 districts of Shanghai labeled “high-risk” were released from lockdown measures, state media said. This followed the easing of lockdowns in 11 districts of Guangzhou on Wednesday. This is despite both cities reporting increasing numbers of cases. Restrictions have also been eased in Zhengzhou, where employees of an Apple supplier have gone on strike in recent weeks. State media also reported that the lifting of lockdowns will begin in Chongqing.
Analysts say these are clear signs that the Chinese government has taken note of the sometimes violent demonstrations. Nonetheless, the authorities are still intensively tracing, visiting and arresting the participants of the demonstrations.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
