Experts warn, however, that restrictions can’t be lifted completely until at least mid-2023 because millions of elderly people still must be vaccinated and the health care system strengthened
BEIJING — China rolled back rules on isolating people with COVID-19 and dropped virus test requirements for some public places Wednesday in a dramatic change to a strategy that confined millions of people to their homes and sparked protests and demands for President Xi Jinping to resign.
Public facilities except for “special places,” such as schools, hospitals and nursing homes, will no longer require visitors to produce a “health code” on a smartphone app that tracks their virus tests and whether they have been to areas deemed at high risk of infection. People with mild cases “can recover by themselves without special medical care,” said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist of the China Centers for Disease Control, on his social media account.The latest changes are “small steps” in a gradual process aimed at ending restrictions, said Liang Wannian, a member of an expert group advising the National Health Commission, at a news conference.
“When implemented, these measures may generate dynamics that fuel the rapid spread of the virus even though China is not ready for such a dramatic shift,” he said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
BEIJING BACKS DOWN: Chinese citizens 'empowered' after COVID protests, China researcher saysCOVID-19 protests across China resulted in officials easing restrictions, leading residents to feel empowered after years of 'draconian' laws
Read more »
China Relaxes Harshest Covid-19 Rules Following ProtestsChina reported over 25,000 new cases of covid-19 and zero deaths on Wednesday.
Read more »
Beijing no longer requires negative COVID test to enter many public spacesFor the first time, state media began portraying COVID-19 as a less serious illness that typically causes only mild symptoms.
Read more »
Netflix's 'Wednesday' Slammed After Jenna Ortega Reveals She Shot Dance Scene While Sick with COVID'I felt like I'd been hit by a car and that a little goblin had been let loose in my throat and was scratching the walls of my esophagus,' Ortega recalled of filming the viral scene while sick.
Read more »
Wednesday: Jenna Ortega Choreographed Iconic Dance Scene While She Had COVIDNot only did Jenna Ortega choreograph her popular dance scene in Wednesday, but she also filmed it [...]
Read more »