My Take | As China’s new cases surge, it must not let fear hijack its Covid-19 policy
- For China, targeted lockdowns and mass testing are better than having to live with the coronavirus at the moment
- But excessive fear of Covid-19 could make it difficult to dial down pandemic-related restrictions in future
Almost two years after China achieved victory in eradicating Covid-19 in Wuhan, the country surprised the world again this week by imposing a lockdown in Shenzhen and restricting travel in Shanghai, two of its most important economic hubs.
The message is clear: China is not yet ready to live with Covid-19.
The risks of widespread infections and deaths among unvaccinated senior citizens – as shown in Hong Kong in the last couple of weeks – are simply too high for the country to bear.
It is much safer, and probably more popular, for China to do what it has done well in the last two years. Targeted lockdowns and mass testing are better than having to live with the coronavirus, even though most other countries are learning to accept Covid-19 as part of everyday life.
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China sees biggest Covid-19 surge in 2 years, steps up measures
Given China’s track record, the country may well be able to contain the current wave of infections. By controlling the outbreak, China can buy time to roll out booster vaccines for vulnerable groups – another dear lesson that the mainland has learned from Hong Kong. In a sense, China is protecting human lives at the cost of short-term economic development.