China Relaxing Epidemic Prevention Policies; Chaos Continues to Unfold

In wake of the white paper revolution, which erupted as a result of public protests against extreme epidemic prevention policies in China, the Chinese Communist Party authorities have issued new prevention regulations in recent days, relaxing the requirements for containment and nucleic acid testing. Many cities have closed down their nucleic acid testing sites, but many public places still check for proof of testing, causing long lines at the only testing site available. In addition, despite the relaxation of nucleic acid testing, many provinces and cities are still building large scale fangcang hospitals. This contradictory policy has created more confusion and public discontent.

The Chinese authorities are now under pressure to loosen the blockade. The 10 new policies released on December 7 did not have any mention of "dynamic zeroing", which seems to be a sign of relaxing policies. However, it is difficult for local officials to guess what’s on the minds of the higher-ups, and they are afraid of losing their positions if they make a mistake, thus creating a confusing process during the implementation. In addition, under the CCP propaganda, the majority of the public is afraid of COVID-19, so we’ll have to wait and see how they adapt after being completely liberalized. Whether or not this will put pressure on the health care system is unknown, and it could result in a new wave of confusion and chaos.