Beijing set to roll out China’s first-ever Covid jab mandate

Beijing residents wanting to enter a raft of public places will need to show proof of vaccination from Monday, the first time China has deployed a vaccine mandate, as the city rushes to quash a new outbreak caused by a more infectious sub-variant.

The city will require live performances, entertainment venues such as movie theatres, museums and gyms, as well as training and tutoring locations, to restrict entry to people who are vaccinated, Li Ang, deputy director at the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday.

The requirement will also apply to medical staff, people working in community service operations, home furnishing operators, express delivery providers and conference attendees.

They’ll need to have received a booster shot to continue as normal, Li said. There will be exemptions for people who don’t qualify for vaccination.

Officials have turned to a mandate, which has been deployed in countries across the world, as it rushes to stamp out virus transmission.

Authorities are also keen to boost vaccination rates, especially for people aged 60 or older whose reluctance around immunisation has become a key factor in keeping China stuck in its strict ‘Covid Zero’ approach.

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Meanwhile, AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail for Covid-19 prevention has been cleared for use in a medical tourism zone in China’s southern province of Hainan ahead of national approval, local media said on Tuesday.