China’s strict Covid-zero policy, with mandatory mass testing and travel restrictions, could extend for the next five years in Beijing, according to a warning published on Monday in several local media controlled by the government. country government.
“In the next five years, Beijing will ceaselessly grasp the normalization of epidemic prevention and control,” read the news, attributed to Cai Qi, secretary of the Communist Party in Beijing.
On social media, the announcement sparked anger and confusion among city residents. Most commentators did not seem surprised at the prospect of the system continuing for another half-decade, but few supported the idea. After the news spread, the reference to “five years” was removed from the reports and a related hashtag deleted from the social network Weibo.
Under the iron fist of leader Xi Jinping, Chinese authorities have kept the country in the zero Covid policy, despite the rest of the world opting for the path of coexistence or mitigation of the disease. Xi ordered officials in Beijing to balance strict Covid surveillance with economic growth as the restriction measures unsettle residents.
On the other hand, this Monday (27), all elementary and high school students were allowed to have face-to-face classes, according to the municipal education department, after occasional outbreaks closed schools and offices over the last few weeks. For this to return to the classrooms, teachers, students and parents must undergo a PCR exam.
On Saturday (25), the city of Shanghai reported that it did not record any new Covid-19 infections for the first time since March, when a strong outbreak linked to the omicron variant broke out in the country’s economic capital, which decreed a strict lockdown for two months. . The confinement was partially lifted in early June, although the return to normality was hampered by the re-establishment of restrictions in some districts. Two weeks ago, millions of people were again temporarily confined when the city government launched a mass testing campaign.
Shenzhen, a large industrial city in the south of the country, announced over the weekend that it would close wholesale markets, cinemas and gyms in a district that borders Hong Kong for three days after detecting new cases of Covid-19.
On Monday, the Macau administrative region began a third round of mandatory testing for its more than 600,000 residents in an effort to contain the rise in infections. Authorities have blocked off several buildings and quarantined more than 5,000 people in recent days, said the city government, which reported 38 new cases on Sunday.
The regional administration urged people to stay at home as much as possible, and most establishments in the city were closed, including bars, beauty salons and open-air parks. Only take-out and delivery services are allowed in restaurants.
The city is the world’s biggest gambling hub, and casinos may remain open, the local government said, in a move to protect local jobs.
Macau’s cases are still far below daily infections elsewhere, including neighboring Hong Kong, where cases have jumped to around 2,000 a day this month. The Hong Kong outbreak this year had more than 1 million confirmed infections and more than 9,000 deaths, crowding hospitals and public services.
