China says Covid has weakened as it announces loosening of strict policies

China is saying that Covid has weakened in the country after it announced yesterday that it would end the forced centralised quarantine. This will allow people who only have mild Covid-19 to isolate at home, and there will be more freedom to travel around the country.

The Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper said today that China has taken the initiative to adapt to changes and that it prioritises health and lives. The newspaper said…

“In the past three years, the virus has become weaker, but we have become stronger.”

This news comes after protesters raged last month calling for their nation’s leader, President Xi Jinping, to stand down. Hundreds of people in several major cities clashed with police in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Chengdu, over the government’s continuous unsustainable policy.

As the protests grew, it was reported yesterday that the government was considering downgrading its management of the virus.

State media’s coverage of the issue reflects the government’s push to promote the idea that the loosening of restrictions is due to progress with Covid, and not public discontent, Bloomberg reported.

The move to downgrade the Covid situation in China came as global stocks posted a third straight day of losses on Tuesday. Bloomberg said…

“While China’s emergence from almost three years of pandemic isolation is paved with uncertainty, technical charts signal Chinese stocks may enjoy some smooth gains as the economy reopens.”

Just last month, it was reported that the number of Covid-19 cases in China had hit a record high. The country had recorded 31,527 cases, with virus cases recorded in 31 provinces.

China has classified the pandemic as a Category B infectious disease since January 2020 but has managed it under Category A protocols. Such a shift in management has given local authorities the power to put patients and their close contacts into quarantine and lockdown affected areas. Other Category A diseases normally include bubonic plague and cholera. Category B diseases (in which Covid is classified) include SARS, AIDS, and anthrax.

But, as more than 95% of the cases in China are asymptomatic and mild, with a low fatality rate, critics of the government’s handling of the pandemic say Class A management is not in line with science.