China’s Covid Pivot Accelerates as Cities Ease Testing Rules
- Shanghai, Hangzhou scrap range of testing requirements
- New daily infections nationwide fall to lowest in two weeks
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Chinese authorities eased Covid testing requirements across major cities over the weekend as Beijing appears to be engineering a gradual shift away from its strict Covid Zero policy amid elevated cases and public protests.
The financial hub of Shanghai, which saw a grueling two-month lockdown earlier in the year, scrapped PCR testing requirements to enter all public venues except some like restaurants, bars and nursing homes, city authorities said. Measures will “continue to be optimized and adjusted” in line with national policy and the local situation, according to the statement.