China will end mandatory quarantines on arrival in the country on January 8, the last remnant of its strict health policy. “zero Covid” which had isolated the country for nearly three years. This decision comes at a time when China is experiencing an outbreak of contamination since the abandonment of most of its health restrictions at the beginning of the month.
China, the reasons for the revolt
From next month, only a negative test of less than 48 hours will be required to enter Chinese territory, said Monday evening December 26 in an opinion the Health Commission, which acts as a ministry.
The borders remain almost completely closed
China is the only major economy that continued to impose quarantines on arrival on its territory that penalize tourism, even if their duration had been reduced in recent months. It is currently 5 days at the hotel, followed by 3 days of observation at home.
The Health Commission has indicated that it no longer considers Covid-19 to be a “pneumonia” but like a disease “contagious” less dangerous. According to the authorities, this new health classification no longer justifies quarantines.
In China, the suicidal hubris of Xi Jinping
The Health Commission also mentioned a gradual restoration of foreign travel for the Chinese, without however advancing a timetable. Only trips for compelling reasons were previously tolerated.
The country’s borders have nevertheless remained almost completely closed to foreign nationals since 2020. China has stopped issuing tourist visas for almost three years, while international air links have been greatly reduced.
Case Explosion
Since 2020, China has been imposing strict measures, in the name of a so-called policy “zero Covid” which has made it possible to protect those most at risk and those who are poorly vaccinated. The power put an end without notice on December 7 to most of the measures, against a backdrop of growing exasperation of the population and considerable impact on the economy.
Since then, the number of cases has exploded, raising fears of high mortality among the oldest, who are particularly vulnerable. Many crematoriums interviewed by AFP have reported an unusually high influx of bodies to be cremated in recent days. A situation largely ignored by the Chinese media.
With its management of the Covid, a politically and economically weakened China
Hospitals are also overwhelmed, while anti-flu drugs are more difficult to find in pharmacies, as the country learns to live with the virus. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday ordered “build a rampart” against Covid-19 and ” protect “ lives in China. This is his first public comment since the abandonment of most sanitary measures.
“A bulwark”
“The prevention and control of Covid-19 in China is facing a new situation with new tasks”estimated this Monday the strong man of Beijing. “We need to have a more focused patriotic health campaign […] and build a strong bulwark against the epidemic”ordered Xi Jinping, quoted by state television CCTV.
This lifting of restrictions could lead to the death of around a million people in the coming months, according to estimates from several Western studies. China announced on Sunday that it would no longer publish Covid statistics. They were widely criticized because of their total discrepancy with the current epidemic wave hitting the country.
“Shanghai is no better than Pyongyang”: in China, the ravages of the “Zero Covid” policy
According to the official report, the most populous country on the planet has recorded only six deaths from Covid since the lifting of restrictions. A figure largely underestimated according to many experts. The Chinese have noticed in recent days a glaring discrepancy between official statistics and the contamination of a large part of their relatives, or even their death.
The large metropolis of Canton (south), populated by 19 million inhabitants, has thus announced the postponement “after January 10” funeral ceremonies. Another source of controversy: only people who died directly from respiratory failure linked to Covid are now counted as deceased from the disease, under a new methodology from the authorities.
