COVID-19: China simplifies arrivals from abroad

People arriving in China will now perform around forty -eight days, against ten before. “Important players in the economic world” and “sports delegations” will also be exempt if they remain in a health bubble during their stay.

Le Monde with AFP

China, the last great economy to maintain a strict health policy against the pandemic caused by the SARS-COV-2, announced, Friday, November 11, the relaxation of several measures in the matter. >

Quarantine reduced. Chinese and foreigners arriving in China will now perform around forty -eight days, against ten before. As was already the case, the last three days can be carried out at the Chinese travelers’ home. On the other hand, the first five days of quarantine will always be carried out in specialized centers or hotels, the costs of accommodation and food remaining the responsibility of the confined persons. However, “important players in the economic world” and “sports delegations” will be exempt from quarantine if they remain in a health bubble during their stay.

End of sudden cancellation of flights. The government has also announced the cessation of the highly criticized mechanism of “circuit breaker”. Under this rule, international flights to China were canceled for one or two weeks in the event of a discovery, upon arrival of previous flights, of a number deemed too high of passengers contaminated on board. Friday’s announcement is a relief for many travelers, who so far had the fear of seeing their flights canceled at the last moment. They were forced to wait several weeks, even several months, outside China before finding a flight.

Only one PCR test. Another good news for travelers from abroad: they will have to provide the result of a single PCR test carried out within forty-eight hours preceding boarding for China, against two so far.
Prohibited preventive confinements. The government note also prohibits “strictly” preventive or too long confinements, school closings not approved by the authorities or even “ready -made solutions” applied without discernment. The note also calls for “accelerating” the vaccinations against the COVVI-19 in China, especially with the elderly, for the moment very reluctant, as well as to strengthen the stocks of antiviral treatments against the disease.

REPERCUSIONS ON THE ECONOMY

All of these measures are announced after the seven senior leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), including President Xi Jinping on Thursday. They had announced the “unwavering” will of Beijing to maintain the zero covid strategy. This obviously does not prevent adjustments.

This policy aims to do everything to avoid cases: confinements of neighborhoods or whole cities as soon as households are appeared, quarantines for contaminated people and almost quasi-quotidian PCR tests. But this inflexible policy has sensitive repercussions on the Chinese economy, global logistics chains, the morale of the population and businesses, the image of the country and the international mobility of Chinese and foreigners.

Friday, the Chinese Ministry of Health announced 10,535 new local cases for the last twenty-four hours. An increased figure in recent weeks, but which remains much lower than most countries.

If it strikes the economy harshly and weighs heavily on the morale of the Chinese, the zero covid policy has undoubtedly made it possible to very strongly limit contamination. Only 5,200 dead were officially recorded in China, compared to more than 1 million in the United States. But this policy causes growing dissatisfaction among the population. And economic repercussions are such that most analysts consider it impossible for China to reach its objective of 5.5 % growth in 2022.

/Media reports.