If you thought China was going to change course on COVID-19 anytime soon, think again. An article entitled ‘Dynamic-Zero COVID is Sustainable and Must Be Upheld’ was published today, Tuesday, October 11, in state media People’s Daily.
The piece argues that only by controlling the spread of COVID-19 can China’s economy and society remain strong and stable."Only when the epidemic is under control can the economy be stable, people’s lives be peaceful, and economic and social development be stable and healthy."
Furthermore, the article states that by ‘lying flat’ – a term often used to refer to policies which seek to ‘live with’ the virus – China runs the risk of increased illness, death and hospitalization, especially amongst the country’s 267 million people aged 60 and older."A relaxation of virus prevention and control will inevitably increase the risk of infection among vulnerable people."
And that, in turn, will effect economic and social development."Once a large-scale Covid rebound is formed, the spread of the epidemic will inevitably have a serious impact on economic and social development, and the final cost will be higher and the loss will be greater."
People’s Daily reiterates that ‘dynamic-zero COVID’ does not aim for zero infections of COVID-19. Instead, the policy aims to stop the spread of the virus by implementing measures such as lockdowns, quarantine, mass testing, etc., as and when is necessary.
Sars-Cov-2 – the virus which causes COVID-19 – was first discovered in late 2019. Since early 2020, anti-epidemic measures have become the norm in China. While the country shows no signs of giving up ‘dynamic-zero COVID,’ a number of anti-epidemic measures have been relaxed. Since July, 2022, China has implemented the ‘7+3’ policy for those who arrive on the Chinese mainland from elsewhere. That means arrivals only have to undergo seven days in a centralized quarantine facility, as well as three days of home quarantine – something of an improvement on the previous policy which meant some people had to spend as long as 21 days in centralized quarantine. Moreover, pre-departure measures have also been relaxed. Those traveling to the Chinese mainland from elsewhere now only have to undergo a nucleic acid test 48 hours before departure, as well as an antigen test 12 hours before departure. For those living in China, expect health code-scanning, regular testing, mask-wearing and other such measures to continue for now.
[Cover image via Facebook]
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