China won't report asymptomatic COVID cases in further shift

BEIJING >> China said Wednesday that it would stop reporting asymptomatic COVID-19 cases since they've become impossible to track with mass testing no longer required, another step in the country's departure from some of the world's strictest antivirus policies.

The change in reporting practices comes the week after the country announced its most significant easing yet of antivirus measures. Meanwhile, China has begun to see what appears to be a rapid increase in new infections, raising concerns that its health system could be overwhelmed just as those in other countries were during early COVID waves.

So far, many of those newly sick are staying home, and there has been little evidence of a surge in patient numbers. But it's difficult to get a clear picture of the spread, and the new reporting rules could make that even harder. Some hospitals have reportedly struggled to remain staffed because of rising infections among employees.

A notice on the National Health Commission's website on Wednesday said it stopped publishing daily figures on asymptomatic COVID-19 cases since it was “impossible to accurately grasp” the number of those infections, which have generally accounted for the vast majority of new cases.

The only numbers the commission is reporting are confirmed cases detected in public testing facilities where symptoms are displayed. Many people also test at home, and any positive results there would also not be captured.

China's government-supplied figures have not been independently verified, and questions have been raised about whether the ruling Communist Party has sought to minimize numbers of cases and deaths.

While many governments have long focused on only the more serious cases, the latest move is part of a sea change for China, which has maintained a “zero COVID” policy that seeks to stamp out all virus transmission.

That included frequent mass testing campaigns and meant that anyone who tested positive was isolated in a government facility, even if they had no symptoms. Now people can recover at home if they don't need medical care.

While many greeted the relaxing of the rules with relief, the rapid shift has also caused some concern after years in which the Chinese government talked about the virus as a major threat.

“Beijing is really confused right now,” said one resident, surnamed Zhu. “They made a complete 180-degree turn without even going through a transitionary period.”

Zhu, who refused to provide his full name to speak on what could be seen as a sensitive topic in China, said he wasn't able to find a test after developing a sore throat and a fever. Authorities have said they will provide 25 million rapid test kits for Beijing pharmacies after a rush on such supplies.

Despite the easing, the streets of many major Chinese cities have grown eerily quiet as many people stay home, not because they have to, but because they're worried about contracting the virus at a time when social media is lighting up with reports of infections.