Showing a negative SARS-CoV-2 virus test result for public transport is no longer required in Beijing as of Monday, although a negative result obtained within the last 48 hours is still a requirement to enter certain places, unless namely, shopping malls.
The maintenance of this measure has already sparked protests among some residents of Beijing, who criticize that most public places continue to require testing, even though the city has already closed many testing centers.
According to the authorities in the Chinese capital, the current wave of the pandemic requires “unswervingly continuing to implement standardized prevention and social control measures.”
The southern Chinese city of Shenzhen announced today that commuting workers no longer need to show a negative COVID-19 result to use public transportation or when entering pharmacies, parks and tourist attractions.
The relaxation of testing requirements comes as daily infections top record levels and following nationwide protests by citizens tired of the zero-tolerance policy towards covid-19 when the rest of the world has already normality resumed. The Chinese government has reported 33,018 infections in the past 24 hours, including 29,085 without symptoms.
China continues to impose mandatory quarantine on incoming travelers even as the number of infections is low compared to its 1.4 billion people.
The recent demonstrations, the largest in decades, broke out on November 25 after a fire broke out in an apartment building in the northwestern city of Urumqi that killed at least 10 people.
The case raised suspicions as to whether the firefighters or the victims trying to escape were blocked by locked doors or other anti-virus controls. The authorities denied this situation, but the deaths became a focus of public frustration.
The country then witnessed several days of protests in several cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, with protesters demanding a relaxation of covid-19 restrictions. Some even called for the resignation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The government has promised to reduce the costs and limitations caused by the controls, but says it will stick to the “zero covid” policy. Health experts and economists expect the strategy to stick around at least until mid-2023 and possibly 2024.
On Friday, World Health Organization emergencies director Michael Ryan said the organization was “pleased” to see China ease some of its coronavirus restrictions, saying “it’s really important that governments listen to his people when the people are suffering. .
Source: Observadora
