MADRID, Dec. 5 (.) –
Several large Chinese cities have recently relaxed their regulations regarding COVID-19 tests, in an apparent gradual review of the ‘zero cases’ policy that the Asian giant has maintained in the last three years and which has resulted, in a matter of weeks, in an unprecedented upsurge in social protests.
Shanghai, which already experienced a two-month confinement this year, no longer claims a negative PCR as of Monday to access public spaces such as parks or public transport, after the authorities have decided to “optimize” and “adjust” the measures , according to a statement from the authorities.
Also in Hangzhou, the mandatory nature of tests has been removed in most public places, including offices and supermarkets, nor will they be required to buy some medicines, reports the Bloomberg agency. Similar gestures are planned in other cities such as Shenzhen, Dalian and Jiangxi.
In Zhengzhou, the city that is home to Apple’s largest factory, authorities announced Sunday that they would only keep testing for those who left the city or went to internet cafes or karaoke bars, while in Wuhan, considered “ground zero” for the pandemic, You can now access the subway without presenting any documents.
In Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province and the scene of a fire with more than ten victims that sparked widespread protests, some areas have reopened and this Monday it planned to reactivate some businesses considered non-essential and a subway line that remained paralyzed.
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called last week for moving to a new phase in the fight against the pandemic, with a view to adopting more focused restrictions at a time when the country is recording the worst contagion data, with peaks of almost 40,000 positives daily. On Sunday, the Government registered more than 29,000 cases, although the reduction in tests also entails less detection of asymptomatic patients.
However, the measures will still be tougher than those applied in the vast majority of countries, with entire neighborhoods virtually paralyzed to contain coronavirus outbreaks.
