GG News Bureau
Beijing, 6th Dec. China’s capital city Beijing on Tuesday relaxed its coronavirus test requirements for the first time in about two years, following unprecedented public protests against President Xi Jinping’s stringent zero-Covid policy.
Negative nucleic acid test results are no longer required to enter shopping malls, supermarkets, commercial buildings, or residential compounds, according to the new announcement.
To enter restaurants, schools, bars, internet cafes, indoor gaming stadiums, nursing homes, welfare facilities, hospitals, and medical institutions, Beijing residents will still need to have a negative Covid-19 test within 48 hours.
The announcement came ahead of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) memorial meeting here for former President Jiang Zemin, who died on November 30.
Beijing is still reporting a high number of Covid-19 cases. The city reported 2,260 Covid infections on Monday.
According to China’s National Health Commission, the Chinese mainland reported 4,988 locally transmitted confirmed Covid-19 cases and 22,859 local asymptomatic infections on Monday.
Many Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, have seen public protests against the government’s zero-Covid policy, which has resulted in periodic lockdowns of cities and apartment complexes, keeping people indoors for days on end.
China said last week that it will take steps to ‘minimize’ the impact of its draconian coronavirus lockdowns, amid public protests against the zero-Covid policy, which has received strong support from the UN, the US, and other countries.
China’s zero-Covid policy entails mass lockdowns, continuous testing, and quarantines for people who are not infected.
China is the only major country that is still attempting to eradicate transmission, while other countries have relaxed restrictions and are trying to live with the coronavirus, which has killed at least 6.6 million people and infected nearly 650 million.
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