China has abruptly reversed its “zero-COVID” policy.
Given the shroud that obscures decision-making among the country’s top leadership, the outside world has little certainty about what produced this change. Given the likelihood that China’s slowing economy was a key factor, it is ironic then that the situation in China is likely to get worse before it gets better, slowing its economy even more.
China adopted a zero-COVID policy soon after the scale and potential impact of the coronavirus epidemic became apparent. The government implemented strict testing protocols for all citizens and required a negative test result for entrance to almost every facility, from buildings to buses. When a case was detected, a strict, immediate lockdown followed. Chinese social media was flooded with videos of shoppers rushing for the exits of stores whenever there was a suspected case — fearful of being shut in for days. Quarantines were frequent, with entire cities being shut down and the country’s borders closed.