What are the changes in China’s Covid-19 restrictions?

China on Wednesday eased its “Covid Zero” strategy, a policy that triggered a wave of protests in the country. These are the main changes announced by the National Health Commission.

home quarantine

Patients who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms may isolate themselves at home. Until now, the law required that any positive case be transferred to a government facility or hospital for quarantine.

These centers were the subject of numerous complaints due to their precarious conditions, such as the lack of running water or the poor quality of the food.

From now on, the Chinese will also be able to freely buy medicines against temperatures or colds without having to present an identity document.

Reduced lockdowns

Authorities will minimize the use of lockdowns, applied in districts and sometimes entire cities. From now on they will only apply to certain buildings or floors. If no case is registered for five days, they will be lifted.

Schools must remain open if no positive cases are registered.

The new regulation also prohibits authorities from blocking emergency exits or exit doors. The move is a response to the Urumqi fire, where authorities were accused of hindering the work of rescuers.

The restrictions may not prevent people from accessing emergency medical treatment either. Several people have died in recent months after hospitals refused to treat them because they did not have valid PCR tests.

End of mass testing

Authorities also ended mass testing. To access public spaces it was necessary to have a negative PCR test.

“High-risk employees,” healthcare workers, and delivery people will still need to do this type of testing. And companies will still be able to require them from their employees.

On the other hand, the presentation of a PCR test of less than 48 hours will no longer be required to travel between provinces.

End of green codes

Nor will the population have to show a green health code on the phone to access most buildings and public spaces, with the exception of “geriatrics, medical institutions, nurseries and educational centers.”

The code generated fears in the population due to respect for private life.

In June, five government officials in the city of Zhengzhou were punished for deliberately changing the color code of thousands of residents to prevent them from protesting after a banking scandal.

Despite these changes, the Asian country’s borders remain almost completely closed and travelers from abroad must still undergo an eight-day quarantine upon arrival.