Two weeks after the abrupt end of the strict zero-Covid strategy in China, numerous cities are even allowing those infected to return to work with no or only mild symptoms.

The party-affiliated newspaper "Global Times" named metropolises such as Chongqing and Guiyang in the southwest or Wuhu in the province of Anhui or the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, which has 57 million inhabitants, among others. There was talk of a "better balance between epidemic prevention and social and economic development".

Sustaining daily life

In the midst of the massive corona outbreak, the most populous country in the world suddenly lifted its strict zero-tolerance policy on December 7 after almost three years of lockdowns, forced quarantine, mass tests and contact tracing. The reason for the turnaround was that the infections with the new omicron variants were no longer as severe. However, the measures taken up to that point also proved to be less and less effective.

In the 4.5 million metropolis of Guiyang, employees of supermarkets, delivery services, authorities, medical facilities and other institutions to maintain daily life were instructed to go to work with appropriate protection if they showed no or only slight symptoms of illness and their state of health indicated it allow, as the "Global Times" reported. Experts therefore emphasized that cities should make “dynamic adjustments” depending on the epidemic situation.

China faces several hundred thousand deaths

After Chinese experts had always warned of the dangers of the corona virus and the consequences, the severity of the disease has been downplayed since the change of course.

According to various studies, however, China is threatened with easing several hundred thousand deaths - depending on how quickly boosters are vaccinated, medication is used for treatment, how often masks are worn and other public and social health measures are taken.