COVID-19 testing booths were faraway from some Beijing streets, and travel restrictions within the southern city of Shenzhen were lifted Saturday as China continued to loosen its draconian virus protocols.
Despite rising infection rates, cities are relaxing strict COVID rules over quarantine amid mounting public frustration and protests which have gripped the country in the previous few weeks.
Testing booths within the capital, Beijing, were shuttered as grocery stores lifted mandates to point out negative test results to enter. Subways are expected to follow suit on Monday, although offices are still requiring employees to point out negative tests to enter.
Three years after COVID first appeared within the central a part of the country, Chinese authorities have until recently maintained their zero-tolerance approach to the virus. The federal government has said that severe lockdowns are essential to stopping the spread of COVID and overwhelming the health care system.
A fireplace that resulted in 10 deaths within the western city of Urumqi last month sparked protests in 20 cities across the country. Authorities detained dozens of protestors, and a few demonstrators said that officials had monitored their cell phones and social media to stop them from organizing.
with Post wires