Why China is standing firm on zero-Covid, and will it work for Hong Kong?
- Swift, strict measures for two years have kept death rates relatively low on the mainland
- Public restraint rather than lockdowns might work better for a city like Hong Kong, say experts
Some countries have resorted to dropping mask mandates, opening borders and schools as the Omicron variant sweeps across the globe, but China is standing firm on its zero-Covid policy – in place since the pandemic first broke out.
China’s two years of persistence have meant relatively low death rates as each fresh outbreak is met with swift responses, including rigorous testing and contact tracing, area or citywide lockdowns, and travel curbs.
The measures appeared to have slowed transmissions, with just two cases recorded on Tuesday and authorities announcing the chain of infection had been cut. Most city areas lifted lockdowns and reopened transport links on Tuesday.
The strict test-isolate-quarantine-lockdown regimen has been repeated several times across the country since the early days of the pandemic. As parts of Baise opened up on Tuesday, Manzhouli in northern Inner Mongolia ordered area lockdowns as it launched citywide Covid-19 testing after detecting five positive cases.