China gives in to massive protests, eases COVID-19 restrictions

After widespread protests against its zero COVID policy for almost a fortnight, China has announced easing of curbs and allowing home quarantine for close contacts

Beijing, Dec 07: China on Wednesday announced nationwide lowering of the COVID-19 restrictions and allowed home quarantine for close contacts, while also scraping the net rule in most public place, the state media reported. The decision comes less than two weeks after the large-scale protests gripped the country against the zero COVID-19 policy. This announcement has brought relief to millions of Chinese people who have been living under several restrictions for the many months since the beginning of the pandemic.

State media outlet, Global Times said while quoting the country's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council that China further adjusts and optimizes COVID response by releasing 10 new measures including allowing infections with mild or no symptoms to take home quarantine and reduce the frequency of nucleic acid testing.

In the last week of November, scores of people in Shanghai, China's largest city and financial centre began protesting against the strict norms imposed by the Xi Jinping led government. Down with the Communist Party and Down with Zi Jinping, the protesters said while holding up banners.

University students on November 27 across the country gathered at their campuses to demonstrate and the same night scores of people in Wuhan where the virus generated took to the streets. The protest in Shanghai was in response to a fire that took place on November 24 in Urumqi in which 10 people had died.

Reports had said that the residents were prevented from escaping the blaze due to pandemic control barriers. This the report said hampered emergency responders. Later the residents gathered in front of a government administration building to mourn the death of the people.

Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch said that Chinese authorities have badly underestimated the willingness of people across China to risk all to have their rights and liberties respected. People in China with incredible courage are showing the Chinese Communist Party and the world that they, like everyone else, are entitled to have a say in how they are governed, he also said.