City Backs Off from Yesterday's Vaccine Mandate
Just a few hours after we reported that Beijing would issue a vaccine mandate stating that proof of vaccination will be required to enter a number of public places beginning on Jul 11, the city appears to have retracted the order following public backlash..
On Jul 8, the new rules were rescinded, with officials saying all that's needed to enter public spaces now is just a Covid test done within 72 hours and a normal temperature check, according to the report from Beijing Daily published on Thursday night.
The report emphasized that vaccination should be voluntary and should not be enforced without consent. Meanwhile, the city also encouraged people who are above the age of three to get the vaccine.
The city's previous announcement, which said people would be required to show proof of Covid vaccines before they can enter public spaces such as training institutions, libraries, museums, movie theaters, and cultural centers invited heated debate among residents worrying about the impact of the policy on their lives -- particularly those who are unvaccinated due to preexisting health conditions that make them medically exempt from getting a jab.
Some people worried about not having the proper form of proof to state that they are medically exempt. Others are concerned about the standards that determine whether one is qualified to get vaccines or not. “My father has an underlying condition and we are not even sure he is able to get vaccinated after speaking with multiple doctors. Some doctors felt not getting vaccinated would be ok, while others thought otherwise"” one Beijing resident said.
We are not sure exactly what drove the government to backtrack from the vaccine mandate. But it seems that unvaccinated people who were worried about not being able to enter certain places can breathe a sigh of relief as the old policy seems to have been rescindsed.
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