Businesses reopened and testing criteria were loosened on Monday in Beijing and other Chinese cities as the nation cautiously eases out of a stringent zero COVID-19 policy that provoked widespread protests.
The central government’s directives for a new strategy to combat the coronavirus have pushed local authorities throughout China to slowly relax the restrictions that have regulated daily life for years.
In the capital Beijing, where many enterprises have fully resumed operations, commuters are no longer obliged to present a result of a virus test that was performed within the previous 48 hours, as of Monday.
The same regulations applied in financial capital Shanghai, which this year saw a severe two-month shutdown, allowing locals access to outdoor spaces, including parks and tourist destinations, without a recent test.
A step farther was taken by neighboring Hangzhou, which stopped routine mass testing for its 10 million residents except for those who attended or resided in elderly homes, schools, and kindergartens.
Supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and ski resorts all reopened on Monday in the northwest Chinese city of Urumqi, which was the scene of a fire that killed 10 people and served as the impetus for the most recent anti-lockdown demonstrations.
One of China’s longest lockdowns occurred in the city of more than four million people in the remote western Xinjiang region, with some areas closed from August until November.
On Sunday, authorities in Shandong and Wuhan, where the coronavirus was initially discovered in late 2019, removed the necessity for testing for public transportation.
And on Sunday, Zhengzhou, the city that is home to the biggest iPhone plant, announced that individuals without a 48-hour negative test result will be permitted to visit public spaces, use public transportation, and enter their residential compounds.
The World Health Organization has applauded China’s relaxation of its zero COVID-19 policy, which followed a nationwide outcry for more political freedom and an end to lockdowns by thousands of people.
Although some COVID-19 regulations have been loosened, China’s massive security apparatus has reacted quickly to suppress additional rallies, tightening web censorship and population surveillance.
Long lines have also formed around testing facilities that have remained after authorities demolished the majority of them, making it necessary for residents to wait in the chilly weather for the tests that are still required in much of China.
“Students can’t go to school without a 24-hour negative test,” wrote a user on China’s Twitter-like Weibo.
“What’s the point in closing testing booths before dropping the need to show test results completely?” another asked.
On Monday, Chinese officials announced 29,724 brand-new domestic COVID-19 cases.
