The Chinese government announced on Saturday a further easing of COVID 19 curbs with major cities such as Shenzhen and Beijing no longer requiring negative tests to take public transport.
The relaxation of testing requirements comes even as daily virus infections reach near-record highs, and follows weekend protests across the country by residents frustrated by the rigid enforcement of anti-virus restrictions that are now entering their fourth year, even as the rest of the world has opened up.
The southern technological manufacturing center of Shenzhen said on Saturday that commuters no longer need to show a negative COVID- 19 test result to use public transport or enter pharmacies, parks and tourist attractions.
The capital Beijing said on Friday that negative test results are no longer required for public transport from Monday.
A negative result obtained within the past 48 hours is still required to enter shopping malls, which have gradually reopened with many restaurants and eateries providing takeout services.
The requirement has resulted in complaints from some Beijing residents that most public venues still require COVID 19 tests even though the city has shut down many testing stations.
Despite the easing measures, authorities said that the zero-COVID strategy is still in place and that it aims to isolate every infected person.
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On Saturday, Beijing authorities said that it is necessary to continue with normalized social prevention and control measures because the current round of COVID 19 is spreading fast. The government reported 33,018 domestic infections in the past 24 hours, including 29,085 with no symptoms.
China remains the only major nation that has a zero-COVID strategy, as the rest of the world has learned to live with the virus. The policy, which has been in place since the epidemic began, resulted in mass testing and snap lockdowns across the country.
China still imposes mandatory quarantine for incoming travelers, even though its infection numbers are low compared to its 1.4 billion population.
The latest demonstrations, the largest and most widely spread in decades, erupted on Nov. 25 after a fire in an apartment building in the northwestern city of Urumqi killed at least 10 people.
There were angry questions on the internet about whether firefighters or victims tried to escape were blocked by locked doors or other anti-virus controls. The deaths were a focus of public frustration, but the authorities denied that.
The country saw a number of protests across cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, with protesters demanding an easing of COVID 19 curbs. Some demanded that Chinese President Xi Jinping step down, an extraordinary show of public dissent in a society over which the ruling Communist Party exercises near total control.
Xi's government has promised to reduce the cost and disruption of controls but says it will stick with zero COVID. Health experts and economists believe it will stay in place at least until mid- 2023 and possibly into 2024, while millions of older people are being vaccinated in preparation for lifting controls that keep most visitors out of China.
The government has admitted to some mistakes, but mainly on overzealous officials, criticism of government policies can result in punishment.
The former NBA star Jeremy Lin, who plays for a Chinese team, was fined 10,000 yuan $1,400 for criticizing conditions in team quarantine facilities, according to local media reports.
On Friday, World Health Organization emergencies director Dr. Michael Ryan said that the U.N. agency was pleased to see China loosen its coronavirus restrictions, and that it is important that governments listen to their people when the people are in pain.