Residents in China can now go to work “as normal” even if they have symptoms of Covid-19, authorities said, in a country where previously a single case could lead to the confinement of thousands of people.
China took an abrupt turn at the beginning of December and lifted most of the sanitary restrictions in force for almost three years, after the appearance of the first cases of coronavirus in the city of Wuhan (center). Since the lifting of restrictions, a wave of cases has swept the country, but authorities are trying to reassure the virus that it is benign despite its contagiousness.
No screening required
The municipality-province of Chongqing (southwest), which has more than 30 million inhabitants, is one of the first to authorize a return to work despite Covid symptoms.
“Asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients can go to work as normal,” read a notice from local authorities published on Sunday.
The document establishes that no screening tests will be required anymore, with the exception of schools or health establishments.
Change of course after the “zero Covid” policy
This is a spectacular setback for the health strategy of the most populous country on the planet. In the name of a strict policy called “zero Covid”, the Chinese were recently subjected to almost daily checks and mandatory quarantines in case of a positive PCR test. Districts, even entire cities, could be locked down as soon as a few cases were discovered.
The government now encourages the population to isolate at home when symptoms of Covid appear.
At the other end of the country, the province of Zhejiang, which borders Shanghai, has also decided that people with mild symptoms can “continue working” as long as they take “protective measures.”
Experts fear that China is ill-equipped to deal with this wave of infections, as the country continues to reopen, with millions of vulnerable elderly yet to be vaccinated.
Beijing and its 22 million inhabitants are especially affected by this wave of pollution, totally unprecedented in the city since the start of the pandemic and which has spread at the speed of light in recent days.
Nursing homes are now alone, according to various testimonies collected by AFP.
Source: BFM TV
