Shoppers have returned to shopping malls in Beijing as the Chinese capital eases pandemic restrictions after declaring a small but persistent outbreak of COVID-19 effectively controlled.
The partial reopening of shops and offices in Beijing on Sunday was welcomed by a tired population and troubled shopkeepers, anxious for life to return to normal.
Along with a gradual easing of restrictions in Shanghai, he indicated that the worst had happened in the twin outbreaks in China’s most prominent cities.
A worker wearing a face mask prepares to clean a fashion store inside a reopened mall. (Photo by AP / Andy Wong) (AP)
Blockades and other restrictions on China’s “zero-COVID” strategy have increasingly frustrated residents as they see other countries relax and reopen their borders.
Some have resisted and staged protests in apartment complexes and university dormitories, in an authoritarian country where people think twice before speaking publicly about the possible repercussions.
Restaurants remain closed in Beijing except for takeaway and delivery, and many people in Shanghai can still only go out with special season tickets for a limited period of time, although the number of new cases has been reduced.
Residents wearing face masks tour the reopened mall decorated with colorful flowers after being closed due to restrictions on COVID-19 in Beijing on Sunday. (Photo by AP / Andy Wong) (AP)
Officials are often wrong on the side of caution with a system that easily punishes them for lax application if outbreaks erupt or return.
China reported 293 new cases on Saturday, of which 78 were among people who had arrived from abroad.
Shanghai had the most unimportant cases, with 122, and Beijing had 21. This is in a population of more than 20 million people in both cities.
Beijing allowed public parks, gyms and movie theaters to reopen on Sunday, all at 50 percent capacity.
Part of the Great Wall in a rural part of Beijing, about 60 kilometers from the city center, reopens to visitors on Monday.
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Xu Hejian, a city spokesman, said on Saturday that there were still sporadic cases in some districts, but that they were within a controllable range.
“This round of outbreaks has been put under effective control,” he said.