Even announcing, this Friday (11), the easing of some measures, China continues to go against most large countries with the Covid Zero Policy . The Chinese Communist Party, chaired by Xi Jinping, has decided to maintain the restrictions despite the economic fallout. Most analysts now consider it impossible for China to reach its 5.5% growth target in 2022.
From now on, the quarantine for Chinese and foreigners arriving from abroad is eight, instead of ten days, and the first five days of quarantine must be carried out in specialized centers or hotels, with the costs of accommodation and food being borne by the confined.
The country removed from the list of restrictions one of the measures related to international flights to China, which were canceled for one or two weeks in case of a high number of infected passengers on board in previous flights.
Another change is that travelers can only submit one PCR test, instead of two, taken in the last 48 hours before travel.
“Stay at home”
In contrast, this week, cities across China have imposed stricter prevention and control measures as the number of cases rises despite to be low by global standards. Authorities reported 11.535 new internally transmitted cases on Thursday, the highest since 29 of April, when Shanghai was fighting its most severe outbreak under strict lockdown.
Guangzhou City reported 2.824 new local cases in Thursday (10), the fourth day that infections surpassed 2.. At least three of Guangzhou’s 11 districts have been subject to some kind of restriction.
“Only one person in each household is allowed to buy necessities daily allowances on a staggered schedule,” the district government said. All public transport in the region of 1.8 million people has been suspended and mandatory PCR tests will be administered to “all households and all individuals”, according to officials. The cities of Beijing, Zhengzhou and Chongqing also tightened the measures.