Xi urges steps to ‘protect’ lives as China lifts Covid curbs

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping urged officials to take steps to protect lives on Monday in his first public remarks on Covid since Beijing dramatically loosened hardline containment measures this month.

Having been largely sheltered from the virus for much of the pandemic, China is now experiencing the world´s biggest surge in infections after restrictions that torpedoed the economy were abruptly lifted.

Studies have estimated that around one million people could die over the next few months. Many in the population are grappling with shortages of medicine, while emergency medical facilities are strained by an influx of undervaccinated elderly patients.

“At present, Covid-19 prevention and control in China are facing a new situation and new tasks,” Xi said in a directive, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“We should launch the patriotic health campaign in a more targeted way... fortify a community line of defence for epidemic prevention and control, and effectively protect people´s lives, safety and health,” Xi said.Meanwhile, China will scrap quarantine measures for overseas arrivals starting January 8, health authorities announced on Monday, after nearly three years of strict pandemic border restrictions.

The National Health Commission announced the downgraded containment measures for Covid-19 in an online notice, adding that travellers would only need a PCR test taken 48 hours pre-flight to enter China.

The announcement is the latest move by Beijing to loosen its zero-Covid regime, after it abruptly dropped mandatory testing and lockdowns earlier this month.

“According to the national health quarantine law, infectious disease quarantine measures will no longer be taken against inbound travellers and goods,” the National Health Commission (NHC) said.

“People must take a PCR test in the 48 hours before arriving in China,” the notice said, adding that restrictions limiting the number of international flights will also be abolished.

The measures will take effect from January 8, when Covid will be downgraded from the top tier of inefectious diseases, Class A, to a second tier Class B, the NHC said in a separate notice on Monday.

Unlike most of the rest of the world where people have transitioned to living with the pandemic, China had until recently maintained harsh restrictions and largely sealed itself off.

Since March 2020, all passengers arriving in the country had to undergo at least two weeks of mandatory centralised quarantine, later increased to three weeks.

The measures heavily disrupted international tourism and business travel, further hampering the country´s Covid-battered economy.

Uneven quarantine hotel conditions, harsh visa restrictions and steep flight prices caused by heavily reduced international routes also precipitated a mass exodus of expatriates from the country in recent years.

But earlier this year, China slightly loosened visa restrictions, allowing direct relatives of Chinese citizens to apply for family reunion visas.