China will end traveler quarantine on January 8, according to government authorities, marking the last major change to the country’s zero-Covid policy.
This will restore the country’s borders to individuals with employment, study, or family visit visas after nearly three years of closure.
Tuesday, the immigration authority announced that Chinese people will be free to go abroad.
Following the removal of regulations, covid has spread aggressively.
According to reports, hospitals are overcrowded and elderly patients are dying.
Officials have ceased disclosing Covid data, so the exact toll – daily case counts and fatalities – is now unclear.
Last week, Beijing recorded over 4,000 new Covid infections every day, with few fatalities.
On Sunday, it was announced that case numbers would no longer be published. However, the British health data company Airfinity calculated that China experienced over a million infections and 5,000 fatalities daily.
After three years of lockdowns, closed borders, and mandatory quarantine for Covid cases and contacts, China is the final major economy to transition to “living with Covid.”
The so-called zero-Covid approach harmed the economy and grew citizens weary of repeated restrictions and examinations.
In November, resentment against the program erupted into rare public protests against President Xi Jinping, followed by the immediate repeal of Covid regulations.
Closed borders are the only remaining major constraint. Since March 2020, everybody entering China was required to undergo a three-week quarantine at a government facility. This has recently been shortened to five days.
On Monday, however, the National Health Commission declared that on January 8, Covid would be officially reduced to a Class B infectious disease.
This means the elimination of quarantine, however, incoming travelers will still be required to undergo a PCR test. Additionally, the daily flight limit into China would be eliminated.
Authorities stated that they will also “optimize” visa conditions for foreigners intending to enter China for work, education, and family visits.
Uncertain if this covers tourist visas, officials announced a test program for international cruise ships.
The immigration authority announced on Tuesday that Chinese nationals intending to apply for visas to travel overseas will be able to do so as of January 8.
According to Statista, the number of Chinese outbound visitors in 2019 was 155 million before the epidemic. In 2020, this number declined to 20 million.
The new laws have been welcomed by many Chinese citizens, who can now travel abroad once more.
Within hours of the announcement, the nation’s leading online travel providers reported an increase in traffic. During the Chinese New Year, which begins on January 22, many individuals will be hoping to visit family and friends.
However, many have also expressed resentment at the unexpected liberation after years of restrictions.
“I am both delighted and speechless. If we’re doing this [reopening] regardless, why was I subjected to daily Covid testing and lockdowns this year?” Rachel Liu, who resides in Shanghai, stated.
In April, she had spent three months in quarantine, but in recent weeks, practically her entire family had contracted the illness.
Last week, she reported that her parents, grandparents, and partner, who reside in the cities of Xi’an, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, had contracted fever.
Many have also expressed online concern over the reopening of borders as the number of Covid cases in China grows.
“Why can’t we wait for this wave to pass before opening? The medical staff is already exhausted, and elderly patients cannot survive two infections in one month “Read one of the most popular Weibo comments.
People in areas such as Beijing and Shanghai, which have harsh winters, report running out of flu and cold medication.
It is anticipated that hundreds of deaths may not be registered since crematoriums are at capacity.
Authorities in Beijing aim to distribute Paxlovid tablets manufactured by Pfizer to lower the severity of infections and relieve the burden on hospitals. Monday, The Global Times phoned health centers and learned that the medicine had not yet been provided.
President Xi made his first statements regarding the measures on Monday, urging officials to do all “possible” to save lives.
He was quoted by state media as saying that the country faced a new pandemic control situation and required a more targeted approach.
Mr. Xi is in a difficult position due to China’s about-face on pandemic management. He was the leading driver behind zero-Covid, which was condemned by many for unnecessarily restricting people’s lives and damaging the economy.
As a result of abandoning it, analysts argue he now bears responsibility for the massive outbreak of illnesses and hospitalizations. Numerous individuals have questioned why the nation was not better prepared.
