Beijing is going to lift a large number of corona restrictions after a month. The board of the Chinese capital announced this on Sunday.
The metropolis experienced an uptick in the pandemic at the end of April, with more than 1,900 positive cases. That’s a high figure for China, which has a “zero-COVID” policy.
To contain the spread, schools, non-essential shops and public facilities were closed in early May. Restaurants were only allowed to offer takeaway meals. Residents were tested almost daily and had to telecommute as much as possible.
After some relaxation in recent days, the city council announced that residents will be allowed to go back to work from Monday and that schools will reopen on June 13. Restaurants will also be allowed to receive guests again from Monday and public transport will again function normally. Passengers must submit a test that is no more than 72 hours old.
Two districts of the capital continue to maintain restrictions, as 19 new infections surfaced on Sunday.
China continues to adopt a “zero-COVID” strategy, meaning quarantines and lockdowns will immediately start as soon as a few infections emerge. The policy has prevented many corona deaths, but it has dealt a heavy blow to business. The economic slowdown is jeopardizing China’s growth target of around 5.5 percent.
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