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China Relaxes COVID Restrictions in Major Policy Shift Following Mass Protests

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China’s health officials on Dec. 7 issued new national guidelines to ease strict COVID-19 measures, following protests that erupted across the country late last month. Residents welcomed the news as cities gradually return to normalcy.

The relaxation of COVID measures—such as allowing infected people with mild or no symptoms to quarantine at home and dropping testing for those traveling within the country—marked the most significant changes since Beijing first implemented the draconian zero-COVID policy three years ago. The measures have inflicted pain on tens of millions, dragged down China’s economy, and isolated the nation from the world.

The 10 new guidelines released by the National Health Commission (NHC) came after several Chinese cities and regions relaxed the restrictions at different levels following the boldest street protests the country hasn’t seen in decades.

Wednesday’s announcement quickly soared to the top most viewed topic on Weibo, the Twitter-like platform, with residents cheering the prospect of returning to normality after sporadic lockdowns during the past three years, upending daily life and bringing hardship to many, including being deprived access to healthcare and even death from harsh quarantine conditions.

“It finally comes. Life has been so hard in the last three years,” wrote a Weibo user.

The foreign business communities also welcomed the move and expect Beijing to further reopen China’s borders and drop travel restrictions.

Mi Feng, the spokesperson of the NHC, said at a news conference that any changes to measures regarding travel would be “gradual.”

Epoch Times Photo
A woman wears a mask as she waits at a bus stop on a usually busy street in the Central Business District in Beijing on Dec. 6, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Details of the Changes

The NHC relaxed rules regarding quarantine, travel restrictions, lockdowns, and mandatory testing. The scale and frequency of mass testing are required to be scaled down. The authorities said administrative regions could not carry out mass COVID testing.

Under the new guidelines, the authorities no longer require people to present negative results or a green health code, except in places such as nursing and welfare homes, medical institutions, childcare centers, and primary and middle schools.

The health code is a color-based QR code system for the authorities to trace close contacts and control people’s movements. Utilizing big data and mobile technology, the regime assigns citizens three codes on their mobile phones, including a health code, a vaccination code, and an itinerary code.

Previously, a green code was essential for tens of millions to take buses, enter workplaces and supermarkets, or even use public toilets. Losing a green code meant the carrier lost access to almost everywhere.

Additionally, the NHC banned local officials from designating large areas, such as entire residential compounds and communities, as high-risk.

Other measures include increasing the vaccination rate of the elderly, requiring universities to remain open without outbreaks, and demanding the timely release of residents in high-risk areas if there were no new infections for five consecutive days.

China Covid Unrest Boils Over as Citizens Defy Lockdown Efforts
A demonstrator holds a blank sign and chants slogans during a protest in Beijing on Nov. 28, 2022. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Officials didn’t link any of the changes to previous nationwide protests.

At the end of last month, protests swept through the country. From the capital Beijing to the remote county of Korla, demonstrators were seen chanting slogans, pushing back the regime’s stringent COVID curbs, and demanding freedom. In Shanghai, residents directed their anger toward the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its top leader, Xi Jinping, calling for them to step down.

Several demonstrators were reportedly detained after the protests. Leaked directives suggested the regime initiated the highest level of censorship.

China’s state media has remained silent on the unprecedented demonstrations.

The outpouring of anger was triggered by a deadly blaze on the eve of Nov. 24 in Urumqi, the capital city of the far-western Xinjiang, where parts of the region have been under lockdown for more than three months. Online posts on the country’s social media and Chinese residents blamed the strict COVID curbs for at least 10 deaths, saying the restrictions hampered escape from the burning high-rise apartment and delayed rescue efforts, an accusation local officials denied.

The announcement thrilled many working and studying thousands of miles away from their hometowns. Among the top trending items on Weibo on Wednesday were residents asked if they could return home this Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 22, 2023.

Over the past three years, many Chinese cities urged their residents to stay put during the New Year holiday, citing concerns about possible COVID outbreaks during the peak travel season. Residents had no choice but to cancel their plans to meet their families.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Dorothy Li

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Dorothy Li is a reporter for The Epoch Times based in Europe.



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