China eases restrictions, but a full zero-covid exit seems far off

More Chinese cities, including Urumqi in the far west of the country, announced an easing of coronavirus restrictions on Sunday, in an attempt by China to make its policy more targeted and less onerous. zero covid policyafter unprecedented protests from last weekend against the restrictions.

Urumqi, the capital of the region of Sinkiang And where protests first broke out, it will reopen shopping malls, markets, restaurants and other venues from Monday, authorities said, ending strict lockdowns after months.

There were no signs of significant unrest this weekend, although police were present in the Liangmaqiao area of ​​Beijing and in Shanghai around Wulumuqi Road, which bears the name of Urumqi. In both places there were protests a week ago.

A deadly fire last month in Urumqi sparked dozens of protests against Covid restrictions in more than 20 cities, after some social media users said the victims had been unable to escape the blaze because their apartment building was under confinement. The authorities denied it.

The protests were an unprecedented display of civil disobedience in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012.

In the days since, numerous cities have announced easing of lockdowns, testing requirements and quarantine rules.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees efforts to fight Covid-19, said last week that the virus’s ability to cause disease was weakening, a change in messaging that aligns with what many health authorities in everyone has said for over a year.

China is willing to announce a further easing of testing requirements across the country, as well as allow positive cases and close contacts to self-isolate at home under certain conditions, people familiar with the matter told Reuters last week. .

Ease restrictions

For now, measures to ease restrictions have varied across the country.

Residents of Zhengzhou, the central city that is home to the world’s largest iPhone factory and rocked by violent riots last month, will no longer have to show the results of a covid test to take public transport, taxis and to visit “public areas,” authorities said Sunday.

Karaoke bars, beauty salons, internet cafes and other closed venues can reopen, but must ask customers to show a negative covid test within the last 48 hours.

Starting Monday, a negative Covid test result will not be required in Shanghai to take public transport and visit parks, authorities announced Sunday.

Elsewhere, both Nanning, the capital of the southern Guangxi region, and Wuhan, the central city where the pandemic began in 2019, on Sunday waived the requirement of a negative covid test to take the subway.

Guangdong’s Haizhu district, which saw violent clashes last month, said on Sunday that from now on it advises people without Covid symptoms not to get tested for the virus unless they belong to certain special groups, such as frontline workers or those with a red or yellow code.

In Beijing on Saturday, authorities said the purchase of medicines for fever, cough and sore throat no longer required registration. The restriction had been imposed because the authorities believed that people were using the drugs to hide covid infections.

Authorities in several districts of the capital have announced in recent days that people who test positive for the virus can remain in home quarantine.

Some inconsistencies in the easing of the restrictions have caused the anger of the population, such as the requirement in some places of a negative result in the covid test, despite the fact that the mass testing centers were closing.

In Beijing and Wuhan this led to long queues at the few remaining test booths.

“Are they stupid or just mean?” asked one social media user. “We shouldn’t close the covid testing booths until we get rid of the covid test pass.”

The number of new daily cases fell across the country, authorities reported Sunday, which may be partly because fewer people were getting tested. Authorities also reported two new covid deaths.