By Ryan Woo and Engen Tham
BEIJING12 October – China will persist in its policies of COVID-19 to protect itself from the new strains of coronavirus and the risks they pose, the official Chinese Communist Party newspaper warned in a comment for the third consecutive day, thwarting hopes of a near-term easing.
“Sitting with your arms is not advisable, and winning (the battle of the COVID) with crossed arms is not possible “, wrote the People’s Daily on Wednesday.
China is facing a resurgence of COVID after this month’s “Golden Week” holiday and the emergence of new omicron sub-variants, including the highly transmissible BF.7, just days before a key Party congress where President Xi is expected Jinping will expand its leadership.
Some large cities, such as Shanghai, have tightened preventative measures, such as requiring residents to get tested for the virus more frequently.
A city in southwestern China has even offered cash rewards to residents who report people trying to hide their travel history.
Chinese health authorities on Wednesday reported 1,760 new local cases for 11 October, down from 2,089 the day before. Megacities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xian have reported new cases, although the numbers have barely reached double digits.
Although China’s workload is small compared to the rest of the world, and despite the havoc that the blockades and restrictions of the COVID caused in the economy and population, the Chinese government has urged its people to accept the measures and has silenced any speculation that it will relax its policies
“Only by insisting on dynamic eradication (of cases as they arise) can the enormous losses resulting from the loss of control of the epidemic be avoided to their full extent,” wrote the People’s Daily.
“Once the prevention and control of the epidemic is relaxed, a large number of people will be infected in a short period of time, a large number of serious cases and deaths will occur, resulting in a depletion of medical resources.”
The impact of Chinese policies on COVID it was heard all over the world.
The IMF cut its economic growth forecast for China in 2022 and 2023 to 3.2% and 4.4% respectively on Tuesday, stating frequent freezes under the COVID zero of the country has dented its economy.
Due to the size of the Chinese economy and its importance to international supply chains, the system disrupts COVID it will also weigh on global trade and activity, said the IMF in its latest report on the global economic outlook.
SINRELAXATION
“I can’t believe people still think they’ll relax him,” said a foreigner who works as a teacher in Shanghai, speaking on condition of anonymity. “My partner and I have officially informed our companies this week. We will definitely leave China at the end of our current contracts in June 2023 “.
The two are stuck in Xishuangbanna, a popular tourist destination in the subtropical province of southern Yunnan, since the beginning of October.
At first they were confined to the neighborhood where their hotel was located, and later they were even forbidden to leave their room.
This week they were allowed to leave Xishuangbanna if they test negative for at least three days and if they can find a flight back to Shanghai.
However, quarantine is upon them upon their return.
“We can’t go to our apartment because it’s sealed,” he said. “Our neighbors remain in central quarantine for most of this week. Apparently, those who fly to Shanghai from Xishuangbanna are quarantined in hotels. “
Elsewhere in Yunnan, a city of 5.7 million people, Qujing said on Monday that residents who report people trying to hide are traveling to COVIDlike Tibet and Xinjiang, they will receive a reward of 500 yuan ($ 70).
Residents who report close contacts with such travelers will receive 2,000 yuan.
If the test result PCR of the reported individual is positive, a “big” reward will be awarded.
($ 1 = 7.1655 Chinese yuan renminbi)
