A day after China announced the rollback of some of its most stringent COVID-19 restrictions, people across the country are greeting the news with a measure of relief but also caution, as many wait to see how the new approach will be implemented.
Visitors wear masks as they visit the Temple of Heaven park in Beijing, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. In a move that caught many by surprise, China announced a potentially major easing of its rigid"zero-COVID" restrictions, without formally abandoning the policy altogether.
The changes are in line with the government's promise to make restrictions less burdensome while still trying to contain the virus. While it’s not clear if the new rules are a direct response to the protests, they address some of the most pressing issues that drove people on the streets. Chinese officials who spent three years warning the public about COVID-19’s dangers have also begun to talk about it as less threatening — a possible effort to prepare for living with the virus, as many other nations have done. On Thursday, official messaging particularly emphasized the point, with several state media outlets sharing a lengthy explainer that noted the virus is here to stay.
“Every country in experiencing their first wave will face chaos, especially in medical capacity, and a squeeze on medical resources," said Wang Pi-sheng, Taiwan's head of COVID-19 response. Wang said Taiwanese living in China could come home for medical treatment, especially if they're elderly or at high risk.
But after three years of continually changing restrictions, many were cautious about rejoicing too early, wondering“All the policies are there, but when it gets to the local level, when it gets to the sub-district level, your neighborhood, it’s a complete mess,” said 65-year-old Yang Guangwei, a retiree who lives in Beijing.
“They say don’t test, but the workplace still requires it. That’s contradictory,” Qian said of his own experience.
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