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Chinese authorities have announced further easing of Covid-19 restrictions, with major cities such as Shenzhen and Beijing no longer requiring a negative test to ride public transport.
The slight easing of testing requirements, despite daily virus infection rates near record highs, comes after residents across the country expressed frustration over the strict enforcement of anti-virus restrictions over the weekend, with protests now in their fourth year even as the rest of the world opens up .
Commuters no longer need to show a negative Covid-19 test result when using public transport or entering pharmacies, parks and tourist attractions, the Shenzhen Southern Technology Manufacturing Center said on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the capital Beijing said on Friday that negative test results would no longer be required on public transport starting Monday.
However, a negative test result within the past 48 hours is still required to enter places such as shopping malls, which have gradually reopened, with many restaurants and eateries offering takeout.
The requirement has drawn complaints from some Beijing residents that testing for Covid-19 is still required in most public places despite the city’s closure of many testing stations.
Despite the loosening measures, authorities say the “zero Covid” strategy, which aims to isolate every infected person, remains in place.
The government has reported 33,018 domestic infections in the past 24 hours, of which 29,085 were asymptomatic.
As the rest of the world has learned to live with the virus, China remains the only major country that is still sticking to its “zero-coronavirus” strategy.
The policy has been in place since the start of the pandemic, leading to nationwide lockdowns and mass testing.
Although the number of infections in China is low compared to its population of 1.4 billion, China still imposes mandatory quarantines on incoming travelers.
The largest and most widespread demonstrations in decades have erupted recently after a Nov. 25 fire in an apartment building in the northwestern city of Urumqi killed at least 10 people.
It sparked angry questions online about whether firefighters or victims trying to escape were held back by locked doors or other antivirus controls.
Authorities denied this, but the death became a focus of public discontent.
The country saw days of protests in several cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, as protesters demanded an easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
Xi Jinping’s government has pledged to reduce costs and control disruption, but said it would stick to “zero Covid”.
Health experts and economists expect it to last until at least mid-2023 and possibly until 2024, while millions of older adults are vaccinated in preparation for the lifting of controls that keep most tourists away.
While the government has acknowledged some mistakes, largely attributable to overzealous officials, criticism of government policy could lead to punishment.
Former NBA star Jeremy Lin, who plays for a Chinese team, was recently fined 10,000 yuan for criticizing the conditions of the team’s quarantine facility, according to local media reports.
On Friday, Dr Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief, said the U.N. agency was “pleased” to see China easing some of its coronavirus restrictions and said it was “important for governments to listen to their people when they are suffering” .
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