Beijing, Dec. 5, (dpa/GNA) - Several Chinese cities began a slight easing of coronavirus restrictions on Monday, although lockdown conditions continued to prevail in large parts of the country.
One small change was the end of a requirement that people produce proof of a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test before being allowed to use public transportation or visit parks in Beijing, Gunaghzhou and Shanghai.
However, such tests remain a prerequisite for getting into a variety of critical locations like supermarkets, restaurants or shopping centres, assuming they are open.
In Beijing, for example, all shops but supermarkets are closed, as are restaurants and schools. However, the city is no longer requiring people who test positive to be hospitalized: Those with milder cases may quarantine at home.
The easing of restrictions comes amid a slight decline in the daily new case count to about 30,000, according to the National Health Commission. That’s compared to daily counts of around 40,000 at the end of November.
China’s strict response to the pandemic, which has involved lockdowns, forced quarantines and mass testing, resulted in demonstrations last week, the largest protests China has seen in years.
Speculation has been rife that lockdown rules might be eased since comments last week by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chunlan, who noted that the prevailing Omicron variant is less virulent, more people have been vaccinated and health officials have more experience with the disease.
There will also be a push to get the elderly vaccinated, a group that remains especially vulnerable to the disease because of low uptake of vaccines.
It remains to be seen whether any potential changes will satisfy the protesters.
GNA