China is easing its strict Covid policy. Anyone who has corona but has no or only mild symptoms can now be isolated at home. The National Health Authority of China (NHC) announced it today. The strict testing policy is also being relaxed and the Chinese can travel across the country more easily.
The provision represents a strong break with the policy pursued to date. Previously, everyone had to go into isolation after a positive test in special government places, and affected areas (from residential buildings to entire cities) could be closed for an extended period of time. It is now the intention for people to go into isolation only when their health situation deteriorates and people can go into isolation at home. Beijing has also decided that people will have to get tested less often and show a negative test result less often.
“Asymptomatic individuals and mild cases can be isolated at home while health monitoring is strengthened and can be transferred to designated hospitals for treatment in a timely manner if their condition deteriorates,” the NHC statement said.
Local officials
The guidelines say civil servants should stop introducing temporary lockdowns and end testing and health regulations for “trans-regional migrants,” suggesting much more freedom to travel to China. According to the decree, local officials must stop arbitrarily expanding quarantine areas and designate “risk zones” more scientifically and accurately. Wherever there is a high risk, quarantine should be lifted after five days with no cases.
No hail, but be careful
Mass testing has also been canceled, focusing only on people who work or live in a high-risk environment. Negative PCR results and health codes are now only required for nursing homes, nursing homes, medical facilities, child care facilities, and primary and secondary schools. Schools without outbreaks should function normally.
Other guidelines focus on immunizations of the elderly (who required vaccination much less often than younger populations), the availability of drugs and rapid tests, and better protection of vulnerable groups.
Protests
The easing follows a series of rare protests in several cities against strict anti-virus policies. Earlier this week, state media reported that about 20 cities had relaxed measures, mostly measures related to testing policy. Now Beijing is coming with a nationwide relaxation. The number of infections in China is falling again after the peak in November, when the health authorities recorded almost 40,000 infections a day.
Public frustration escalated after a building fire in Urumqi killed 10 people. It followed a bus crash that killed 27 people who were placed in quarantine and widespread concern about “secondary deaths” related to the implementation of the zero-Covid regime, such as suicides and refusal of emergency healthcare .
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.
