Despite the increasing number of infected, China is on the way to easing the harsh Covid-19 restrictions, and this decision comes after widespread protests, the BBC writes.
On the 1st of December, dozens of urban districts in Shanghai and Guangzhou were exempted from strict quarantine and stay-at-home requirements, despite the high and increasing number of infected persons. China’s vice premier has announced that the country is facing a new situation. This announcement follows widespread protests that swept over China in the last week of November.
The protests sparked after the death of ten people in a fire accident in Urumqi. It is believed that restrictions prevented rescuers from providing help in time. The authorities deny this.
Restrictions in major cities such as Guangzhou were lifted just hours after violent protests and clashes with police forces erupted.
In Beijing, too, Covid-19 sufferers with mild symptoms are allowed to self-isolate at home, and unlike previous rules, there is no longer a plan to close down entire buildings or even districts of the city, which was sometimes prompted by even a single positive case.