- But a recent surge in infections is forcing it to reconsider how it deals with the pandemic.
- Since the end of 2019, it has reported just over 4,600 deaths (according to Our World in Data).
- About 88% of the population is now fully vaccinated.
China’s zero-Covid policy has been one of the most stringent in the world in combating the pandemic.
However, a recent spike in infections has forced it to rethink its approach to the pandemic as reported by BBC.
How serious is the current wave?
The Omicron strain has been substantially responsible for the recent increase in daily cases, which has been extensively dispersed across the country.
Tens of millions of people in China have been instructed to remain indoors, including the whole province of Jilin in the north and the tech-hub city of Shenzhen in the south.
After battling the new wave for nearly a month, Shanghai, China’s largest city, has become the latest city to enter the list.
Across the country, makeshift hospitals and quarantine centres have been established.
Infection rates, however, remain modest when compared to the United States and Europe.
There were just over 14,000 new cases in mainland China in the week leading up to March 24. Over 610,000 new infections were reported in the UK during the same time period.
How is China’s policy changing?
China’s tight zero-Covid stance is proving increasingly difficult to maintain as more illnesses are discovered around the country.
However, most of its principal elements remain in place:
- Travel to and from China is restricted, and internal movement is restricted as well.
- Travellers from outside China who have been granted permission to enter the country are checked and transferred to government-designated hotels for a mandated two-week quarantine, followed by a period of surveillance.
- Residents can be expelled and sent to quarantine facilities if illnesses are discovered through regular community testing programmes (along with targeted area lockdowns)
- Except for food stores and a few other critical suppliers, all non-essential enterprises have been closed.
- Schools have been closed, public transportation has been suspended, and practically all automobile movement has been prohibited.
Some laws have been eased as China’s healthcare system becomes increasingly stressed:
- Mild symptoms no longer necessitate attendance at designated hospitals, but they must still be isolated at centralised facilities.
- The length of the quarantine period has been shortened.
- Testing on a city-wide scale is no longer done; instead, local community testing is done.
- Self-testing kits will be sold in stores and online across the country, but those who test positive will need to undergo PCR tests.
How successful is the zero-Covid policy?
China has had remarkable success containing the pandemic prior to the current outbreak.
In the United States, more than 970,000 have died and in the UK, a little over 160,000.
Reported infections in China have also been very low throughout the pandemic.
Concerns have been expressed about the accuracy of the official data, but it seems clear that both infection and death rates have been low when compared with other countries.
About 88% of the population is now fully vaccinated.
Despite this, China is almost alone in adhering to strict zero-Covid policies.
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Source: BBC
