Chinese ‘feel they are in the abyss’ as zero-Covid policy is relaxed

A WAVE of confusion and celebration has swept across China this week after the government announced a nationwide relaxation of its zero-Covid policy in the wake of widespread protests.

A microcosm of the anxieties and hopes of Chinese people could be seen playing out on the social media page of the late Dr Li Wenliang, a whistleblower doctor from Wuhan.

He died in February 2020 of Covid after trying to spread the word of the virus’s dangers despite being punished by the authorities and has remained a potent symbol of frustration and anger with the government ever since.

“Brother it’s over! You were worried about the pandemic while on your deathbed,” one person wrote on Dr Li’s social media profile. “Finally, the spring has come!”

While lockdowns and quarantines meant China had a lower death toll, it led to public resentment and brought the world’s second-largest economy to a standstill.

Worn down after three years of restrictions, some took the chance to share their dreams for a brighter future.

“Those who blow the whistle are always worth remembering,” said a third. “I look forward to a more transparent society.”

But others were sceptical of how much would change given many of the government’s orders have yet to be fully implemented. Lockdowns and quarantines remain but are meant to be more limited to specific buildings and floors rather than entire housing compounds and districts.

Beijing has left open the possibility of reinstituting broader measures if there is a surge of infections, and made clear that “strict monitoring” will still apply.

Liang Wannian, a Chinese epidemiologist and key architect of the zero-Covid policy, stressed that the changes by no means indicate that China is “fully open”, rather, it is “actively optimising the situation”.

“I just want to be able to take my kids and parents out without worry,” said one person online. “I really can’t figure out why the national policy has changed so quickly. I feel that all of a sudden we are in the abyss.”