China: Relaxes measures for the coronavirus – How citizens reacted

THE China, after the violent protests of the last few days, relaxed the policy on the restrictive measures for the coronavirus. The easing of mandatory testing and quarantine rules in some Chinese cities was greeted with mixed feelings of relief and concern today as hundreds of thousands await the planned change in national virus policies.

The most relaxed measures were received with satisfaction by workers, frustrated by three years of economically damaging restrictions. However, they caused anxiety to others who suddenly feel more exposed to a disease that authorities had routinely called fatal until this week. The elderly, most of whom are still unvaccinated, feel more vulnerable.

Xi Wei, a cancer patient living in Beijing, spends most of his time in isolation, but continues to worry about contracting COVID and spread the virus to his 80-year-old mother as she goes in and out of the hospital for treatment every three weeks. “I can only pray that God protects me,” he declared.

China’s COVID policies have stifled everything from domestic consumption to factory output and global supply chains, and have caused stress for hundreds of millions of people.

Lockdown lifted in at least seven regions

Anger over the world’s strictest restrictions has fueled dozens of protests in more than 20 cities in recent days in an expression of civil disobedience, unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.

In less than 24 hours after civilians clashed with white-coated police officers in Guangzhou, a major manufacturing hub north of Hong Kong, the city lifted lockdowns in at least seven of its districts.

“Finally, we can gradually return to our normal lives,” said Lili, 41, who works at a chain of restaurants in Guangzhou that were allowed to reopen yesterday. According to her, the lockdown of recent years had the effect of reducing revenues by 30%. “People couldn’t take it anymore, everyone was wishing us to reopen… The Guangzhou authorities probably heard what we were asking and thought now is the right time,” said Lily.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who is overseeing the COVID effort, said this week that the virus’s ability to cause disease is weakening — a message that aligns with what health authorities around the world have been saying for more than a year .

While state authorities in cities that have lifted lockdowns have not mentioned the protests in their announcements, national health officials have said China will respond to “urgent concerns” expressed by citizens, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency reports. citing Reuters.

Some communities are now requiring less frequent testing and allowing close contacts of the infected to remain under house arrest. According to state media, the measures are expected to be extended across the country in the coming days.