China to reopen borders, abandon quarantine even as Covid-19 cases rise

Zero-Covid policy over: Quarantine for travellers to end starting Jan 8

Chinese people, cut off from the rest of the world for three years by stringent Covid-19 curbs, flocked to travel sites on Tuesday ahead of borders reopening next month, even as rising infections strained the health system and roiled the economy.

Zero-Covid measures in place since early 2020 last month fuelled the Chinese mainland's biggest show of public discontent since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012. His subsequent abrupt U-turn on the curbs, which have battered the $17-trillion economy, the world's second-largest, means the virus is now spreading largely unchecked across the country of 1.4 billion people.

Official statistics, however, showed only one Covid death in the seven days to Monday, fuelling doubts among health experts and residents about the government's data. The numbers are inconsistent with the experience of much less populous countries after they re-opened. Doctors say hospitals are overwhelmed with 5-6 times more patients than usual, most of them elderly. International health experts estimate millions of daily infections and predict at least one million Covid deaths in China next year.

In a major step towards freer travel - cheered by global stock markets on Tuesday - China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine from January 8, the National Health Commission (NHC) said late on Monday.

Covid data once a month

An official at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said, China will eventually publish data on Covid-19 cases once a month when the disease comes under Category B management. 

The  management of Covid was downgraded to the less strict Category B from the current top-level Category A, as the disease has become less 

virulent and will gradually evolve into a common respiratory infection.