By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 8: The Chinese government on Wednesday announced that the regulations for Covid policy would be made flexible, allowing the majority of cases to quarantine at home rather than at quarantine centers. The directive comes as a result of unprecedented mass protests in late November against Zero-Covid policy measures imposed by Beijing. The directive instructed local authorities to be careful before designating any area “high risk”, and banned any forcible confinement in areas under lockdown.
The new rules stated that anyone tested positive with mild or no symptoms will be allowed to isolate at home if they want, provided that they follow the guidelines. “Non-high-risk areas shall not restrict the flow of people, and shall not suspend work, production, or business,” the directive said in a detailed set of instructions to local authorities after months of iron-clad restrictions.
The change in lockdown rules state that patients will no longer be taken away to a quarantine camp on a bus, often far away from one’s residents. The authorities are not allowed to block any kind of fire exits or main entrances to buildings, residential apartments, and also require efficient mechanisms to ensure that all medical supplies or treatment would reach patients.
“Campuses without infections must carry out normal offline teaching activities, while supermarkets, canteens, stadiums, and libraries on campus must operate as normal,” the directive said of universities, where previously students have complained of prolonged confinement to their dorms and primarily studying in virtual classes. The National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng on Wednesday told a press conference, “These further optimization measures aim to save lives and protect people’s health and safety while also minimizing the impact of the pandemic on economic and social development.”
The protests seen in the last few weeks in China and occupied regions like Tibet and East Turkistan (Xinjiang) challenged the heavy handed restrictions despite overwhelming tone of repressive authority. The protests first stemmed from Urumqi city in East Turkestan where a fire in the apartment building had claimed ten lives. Many alleged that the lockdown measures had hindered the escape of the residents. The recent protests is seen as the largest public protests since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
