China coronavirus: ‘you expire in 3 days’ restrictions and negative test proof requirements hit daily life hard

China’s tough policy on containing Covid-19 continues to hinder residents’ daily lives as dark humour abounds

Residents in at least 50 cities now need to take regular PCR tests every 48 to 72 hours to meet strict requirements by local authorities

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China is starting to re-impose Covid-19 restrictions just weeks after major easing in key cities, raising concern the country may once again employ strict lockdowns to control its outbreak. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 6:00pm, 15 Jun 2022Updated: 6:48pm, 15 Jun 2022

“A piece of tofu expires in five days, while you expire in three”; so goes one of the most popular jokes currently doing the rounds in mainland China.

The joke refers to the three-day validity period of a person’s negative Covid-19 test result; essential for people who want to use public transport or enter public spaces in major cities across the country.

Without proof of a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, a person is regarded as functionally dead, socially speaking, as those without proof of a negative test are banned from the metro, buses, taxis, office buildings, shopping malls, restaurants and other public venues.

A man getting on a bus at a bus station in Shunyi District of Beijing which has been under varying degrees of Covid-19 lockdown. Photo: Xinhua

Residents in at least 50 cities now need to take a PCR test, which is jokingly referred to as “refreshing their shelf life”, every few days so they can provide a test result within 48 to 72 hours as required by local authorities to identify new infections as soon as possible.

It is China’s latest strategy to battle the rapidly spreading Omicron variant as it sticks with a zero Covid-19 policy, but many are worried that it’s not only disrupting daily life, but also creating legal issues and straining public funds.

Lin Xiaoping, a Shanghai-based accountant, said she was forced to take leave for a day last week because she missed getting a PCR test.

“I went to the testing booth near my home after having dinner. There were so many people lining up that when it was my turn it was already closed,” she said.