The city of Beijing announced on Sunday the lifting of numerous anti-Covid restrictions, after a month of fear of confinement for the 22 million inhabitants of the Chinese capital.
The metropolis faced an epidemic rebound of Covid-19 at the end of April with more than 1,900 positive cases, a high figure for China which applies a strict zero Covid policy.
To curb the contagion, schools, non-essential businesses and public places closed in early May, while restaurants could only sell take-out. The inhabitants, tested daily or almost, were encouraged to work from home.
After some relaxation in recent days, the municipality announced a gradual return of Beijingers to work from Monday and the reopening of schools on June 13.
From Monday, restaurants will be able to welcome their customers again and public transport will operate normally. A screening test of less than 72 hours will be required in public places.
Two districts in the capital will nevertheless maintain the restrictions, said the city of Beijing, which reported 19 positive cases on Sunday.
Health authorities have also called for “vigilance”, half of the country’s provinces having reported an epidemic focus in the last seven days.
China continues to apply a zero Covid health strategy, which consists in particular of imposing quarantines and confinements as soon as a few cases appear.
This policy has prevented many deaths from Covid-19, but has dealt a severe blow to businesses, particularly since the shutdown in April of the economic capital Shanghai.
After two months of grueling confinement, most of the city’s 25 million inhabitants have been able to move freely again since Wednesday.
Hundreds of thousands of others, however, had to reconfine themselves after the discovery of infected people, despite the triumphalism of the official media and the authorities.
The total confinement of the metropolis at the beginning of April paralyzed local activity and, in turn, weakened the growth of the second world economy.
The economic slowdown jeopardizes Beijing’s growth target of around 5.5%, in a politically sensitive year that should see Xi Jinping reappointed as head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the fall.