Fatigue and frustration as China presses strict zero-COVID strategy

Fatigue and frustration as China presses strict zero-COVID strategy

BEIJING: Nearly two years into a pandemic that has seen China pursue some of the world’s most stringent coronavirus measures, some grumbling has started to emerge over the strategy, particularly as other nations learn to live with the virus. The zero-COVID approach is unrelenting – with border closures, targeted lockdowns and mass testing triggered sometimes by just one case.

The cost and pain of the strategy have been felt especially acutely by the 210,000 residents of Ruili, a Chinese city on the border with Myanmar that has endured three major lockdowns and frequent mass testing – leaving many businesses on the brink of collapse. A merchant surnamed Lin said his jewelry business was hanging by a thread, with tourists and customers staying away because of COVID restrictions. “We continue operating… but we’re scraping by,” Lin told AFP, refusing to give his full name for fear of reprisals.

In a widely shared television interview this month, University of Hong Kong professor Guan Yi questioned China’s strategy, arguing it should not conduct mass testing “at every turn” or give out booster vaccine doses without enough data on their efficacy. While China largely succeeded in stamping out infections during the first year of the pandemic,