China is preparing for a “new phase” in its battle against COVID-19. As of Sunday (8/1/2023), China lifted quarantine rules for overseas arrivals and other restrictions.
With the start of this ‘new phase’ it means the end of strict zero COVID there. This time, the Chinese government has moved away from “prevention of infection” and focused on “prevention of serious disease”.
“Life is going on again!” said the Communist Party of China newspaper, the People’s Daily. Asia News ChannelMonday (9/1).
“Today the virus is weakened, we are stronger,” he continued.
In this new phase, health officials are downplaying the impact and severity of the disease caused by COVID-19. This is still being done even as the condition of COVID-19 cases in China is on the rise.
Previously, China was the one with very strict COVID-19 regulations, including quarantine and mass testing. At the time, China was in “Category A” in disease response, such as those applied to bubonic plague and cholera.
However, the status has been downgraded to “Category B” since last Sunday.
What does WHO say?
But there are still fears that the massive migration of urban workers to their hometowns as borders open will trigger a spike in COVID cases in small towns and villages that lack adequate critical care facilities and ventilators.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday (4/1) that COVID-19 data in China underrepresent the true number of hospitalizations and deaths due to Corona virus infection.
Watch a video “Update on the development of the Covid-19 case towards the end of 2022“
[Gambas:Video 20detik]
(sao/naf)
