Despite speculation that, after the 20th Chinese Communist Party’s Congress coming up in a week, the government may relax stringent Covid controls and reopen to the world, a recent article in the state mouthpiece dashed many people’s hopes.
An article titled “Enhancing Confidence and Patience in the Current Epidemic Prevention and Control Policy,” appeared in People’s Daily on October 10. It claimed that “China’s current epidemic prevention and control policy fits the national conditions, and is scientific and effective.”
The article then went on to say that as long as victory is not achieved, one cannot speak lightly of success. The multiple different sub-strains of the new Omicron mutant currently found in China are not less transmissible and pathogenic than the previously prevalent Omicron strain, The latest strain still poses a great threat to the elderly and to patients with underlying diseases. The article urged, “It is for this reason that we must remain vigilant about the spread of the epidemic and increase our confidence and patience in our epidemic prevention and control policies.”
While most countries around the world have announced the end of the Corona virus epidemic and have returned to a normal economic and social life, Chinese authorities still adhere to a strict zero-Covid policy. The article that was published emphasized, “We have the conditions and ability dynamically to achieve a zero number of Covid cases.”
Source: Deutsche Welle, October 10, 2022
https://p.dw.com/p/4Hztn