After the street protests that broke out in recent days against the draconian measures imposed by the ‘Zero Covid’ policy, the China announces major changes which mark a relaxation of the restrictions and an evident rethinking of the policies adopted in the last 3 years.
Among the ten new measures announced by the Council of State, the most relevant is that now those infected with mild or asymptomatic symptoms will be allowed to quarantine at home. They will therefore no longer be forced to move to quarantine centers, where the measures of the ‘Zero Covid’ policy required the transfer of positives and their contacts. Now, however, the positives will have to remain in isolation at home for seven days, and their contacts for five.
In addition, the health QR code system will be abolished, the app installed on phones to check the health status of every citizen who, with a system of colors, red, orange and green, decides if you can leave the house, use public transport or enter public places. Now the checks will be limited to access to hospitals, rest homes and schools.
Among other measures, the one that provides that the lockdowns are no longer generalized to entire neighborhoods or even cities, but restricted to more specific areas, buildings or floors, where outbreaks of the virus have been found. Even in these areas, the closure will have to end after 5 days if no other cases are identified. Schools will then remain open, except in the event of large virus outbreaks.
“We will protect people’s health and safety as best as possible and keep the impact on social and economic development to a minimum,” said the prevention and control unit of the State Council of China.
