China eyes ‘targeted and precise’ approach to zero-Covid as cases exceed 10,500

Beijing urges local authorities to improve disease control measures, with bigger Covid-19 wave predicted in winter and spring
Top leaders promise to improve quarantine, testing and treatment, but changes will be ‘cautious’

Coronavirus China

Xinlu Liang

Published: 3:31pm, 11 Nov 2022

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China battled a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases as the country’s top leadership pledged to stick to its zero-Covid approach, though with more targeted measures.

The country reported 10,535 local infections, including 9,385 asymptomatic cases, on Friday morning, up from 8,824 a day earlier. China reported about 1,000 local infections daily at the end of last month.

The seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, China’s top leadership body, predicted a larger wave of Covid-19 cases in the winter and spring and decided to continue with the “dynamic zero” response, according to a Xinhua report on a committee meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping.

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It was the first Standing Committee meeting made public since Beijing’s new leadership was unveiled last month, and members urged local officials to carry out the response in a more “targeted and precise” manner to curb the spread of the virus.

The leaders promised to optimise quarantine, testing, treatment and other control measures in 20 ways. Those changes, released on Friday afternoon, include cutting the central quarantine time for inbound travellers and ending the practice of cancelling flights if too many passengers from previous flights test positive on arrival.

On Thursday, the National Health Commission published a statement, citing Wang Liping, a researcher with the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, saying that the changes would be “cautious” and should not be interpreted as “relaxing control”.

“We are constantly optimising and improving our prevention and control policies in light of changes in the epidemic situation and virus mutations. It is not to relax epidemic control but to reflect a more scientific and precise approach so as to minimise the impact on economic and social development and people’s livelihood,” Wang said.

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Local authorities scrambled to contain outbreaks – a daunting task as they have also been urged not to use excessive measures. Some public health experts said it would be difficult to strike a balance in the face of highly transmissible and stealthy variants.

Bijie in Guizhou province, Nanchong in Sichuan and Zhengzhou in Henan were named and shamed by the State Council, China’s cabinet, as examples of cities that had implemented arbitrary and excessive control measures ranging from citywide lockdowns, travel restrictions and sealing off residential compounds.

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Authorities in Zhengzhou pledged to prevent one-size-fits-all measures, and other cities have since vowed to tackle the virus in a “scientific and precise” manner.

Zhengzhou party secretary An Wei said it was necessary to implement prevention and control measures according to the State Council’s playbook and restore the city’s economy as soon as possible.

Cases in Zhengzhou climbed steadily from 291 last Saturday to 2,988 cases on Friday.

Several universities in the city have asked for help with materials and monetary donations as most campuses faced prolonged closures and a shortage of supplies.

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Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, Henan University of Technology and Zhongyuan University of Technology reported shortages of daily supplies and medical equipment and pleaded for donations from alumni and others, according to posts circulated on social media this week.

In Beijing, authorities have been working to improve pandemic prevention measures and controls on entry into the capital, the health commission said earlier this week. Emergency relief channels will be expanded for those seeking medical treatment, visiting critically ill family members and carrying out important business activities. Hotlines and social media channels for handling complaints will also be expanded.

The 2022 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, originally scheduled for April, was finally cancelled as the capital city faced its biggest outbreak in five months, industry associations announced on Thursday.