Beijing — Some Chinese universities have said they will allow students to finish their semester at home in hopes of reducing the chances of a COVID-19 outbreak during the Lunar New Year travel rush in January.
It’s unclear how many schools are participating, but universities in Shanghai and neighboring cities say students can choose to go home early or stay on campus and take tests every 48 hours. This year’s Chinese New Year, which falls on January 22nd, is traditionally the busiest travel season in China.
Over the past three years, the university has been in frequent lockdowns, sometimes with clashes between authorities and students trapped in campuses and dorm rooms.
Tuesday’s announcement follows widespread protests as China begins to ease its strict “zero COVID” policy, allowing people with mild symptoms to stay at home rather than being sent to quarantine centers. made in the change.
Starting Tuesday, China may stop tracking some travel, reducing the chances of people being forced to quarantine to visit COVID-19 hotspots. Most remain closed, with no announcement as to when restrictions will be eased for tourists visiting Japan or Chinese nationals wishing to travel abroad.
The move follows a dramatic announcement last week that the government would end many of the toughest measures following three years of implementing some of the world’s toughest virus restrictions.
Last month, in Beijing and several other cities, protests against restrictions erupted into calls for the resignation of President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party.
While relieved, mitigation has also raised concerns about new waves of infections that could overwhelm medical resources in some areas.
With so many people staying at home, the streets of downtown Beijing were eerily quiet on Tuesday. There was a small line outside the pharmacy that had increased.
Many mainland Chinese residents are now ordering their medicines from Hong Kong pharmacies, and many restrictions have already been eased.
The government of the semi-autonomous southern city said it would take a further step on Tuesday, lifting restrictions that currently prevent arriving travelers from dining in restaurants or going to bars for the first three days. , plans to phase out the use of contact tracing apps, but vaccination requirements for entering venues such as restaurants will still apply. The new measures will take effect on Wednesday.
The easing of control measures on the mainland means a sharp decline in mandatory testing to tally daily infection numbers, but cases appear to be rising rapidly and many are testing at home. go and stay away from the hospital.
China reported 7,451 new infections on Monday, bringing the country’s total to 372,763, more than double the level on Oct. 1. It recorded 5,235 deaths, while the United States recorded 1.1 million. I am a person.
Figures provided by the Chinese government have not been independently verified, raising questions about whether the ruling Communist Party is trying to minimize the number of infections and deaths.
U.S. consulates in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang and the central Chinese city of Wuhan will offer only emergency services starting Tuesday “in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases,” the State Department said.
“While Mission China is making every effort to ensure full consular services are available to U.S. citizens residing in China, further disruption may occur,” it said in an email, referring to China’s official name, Zhonghua. It used the initials of the People’s Republic.
The Xi Jinping administration is still officially committed to halting the spread of the virus, the last major country to attempt. to allow more cases.
In an unpredictable message from Beijing, experts warned that the ruling party could still change course and reimpose restrictions if the outbreak continues.
The change in policy comes after protests erupted after a fire in the northwestern city of Urumqi killed 10 people on 25 November. Many wondered if COVID-19 restrictions were hampering rescue efforts. Officials denied the allegations spread online, but demonstrators expressed long-standing grievances in cities such as Shanghai that have endured harsh lockdowns.
The party responded with massive force, and an unknown number of people were arrested during or in the days following the protests.
