Dynamic-zero policy still the best option for China in virus battle

No two countries are alike, so how they choose to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic depends on attitudes and circumstances. Chinese have a concept of people and life first, so the leadership’s dynamic-zero strategy meets the country’s needs. Some governments have removed restrictions, the economic and social costs being considered too high. But Beijing’s approach has been tried and tested for over two years and kept the death rate low while ensuring development and growth and will remain its strategy until a more effective way is found.

Shanghai, after more than three weeks battling the Omicron variant, is adhering to the policy. As China’s most populous city and financial and commercial capital, the nation and world are watching and some outsiders contend the economic impact of the lockdowns to contain the spread are too damaging. There have also been some problems with implementation, the result of some local officials being inflexible and the unusually high number of asymptomatic cases. Gradual corrections are being made after residents’ frustration and complaints. But throughout, businesses and services important to everyday life and industry have continued at a safe level.

Diseases are not static and constantly evolving, vulnerabilities in prevention measures helping them mutate and spread. Covid-19 is especially worrying, variants being behind regional and global waves of infection that continue to vex governments. That is why President Xi Jinping and other top officials have stressed the importance of science to protect lives. The dynamic-zero policy does not mean zero infections or zero tolerance, but refers to the need to apply policies according to differing situations. At its heart is flexibility, speed and precision.

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Targeted lockdowns to reduce movement of people for testing, followed by quarantining of those who are infected and isolating close contacts, has kept the number of cases low. Mainland China’s circumstances require that; although vaccination has now reached 90 per cent, about one-fifth of the population of 1.4 billion are 60 and over and equally vulnerable are the country’s 250 million children and tens of millions more with compromised health. Outside first-tier cities, there is an uneven distribution of medical facilities. The threats and risks require maintaining dynamic-zero policies.

The world has suffered a terrible toll from Covid, millions having died and economies pummelled. Some governments believe their populations have attained herd immunity and it is time to return to pre-Covid life. China’s policies ensured low levels of infection and death and it is the only major economy experiencing significant growth. The threat remains, however, and precise and scientific dynamic-zero is still the best option for China.