Beijing's Infectious Centers For Prevention And Control Of Infectious Diseases Will Revoke The COVID Zero Policy

Protests on COVID-19 restrictions in China. (Twitter/@Kathys_leung)

JAKARTA - The city of Beijing has been rocked by the issue of the lifting of the zero COVID-19 policy, which in the last three years has been strictly implemented in the territory of the Chinese capital.

Beijing will fully lift anti-pandemic restrictions from tomorrow, ending mass nucleic acid tests, and implementing health codes, the issues that have spread online from Saturday to Sunday.

The rumors were immediately denied by the Beijing City Centers for Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (CDC).

"At a time when the pandemic situation in Beijing is stable, transmission at the community level is still high, so it should not be underestimated," the CDC was quoted as saying by Chinese media.

"Be the first person to be responsible for your health," the CDC said in response to the rumors, citing Antara, Sunday.

In a meeting with the CDC's task force, Beijing City Communist Party Chairman Yi Li, said the pandemic situation was still severe and complicated.

He also called on stakeholders to work effectively based on science in overcoming the latest surge in positive cases of COVID-19 in order to avoid a new pandemic.

The Anti-Pandemic Task Force formed by the Chinese Government Council has issued a statement responding to public demands for the enactment of a new package of 20 anti-pandemic rules.

Three things have been mapped by the Board of Government regarding the social turmoil that erupted in various cities in China.

First, the lack of accuracy in implementing pandemic prevention efforts so that it greatly affects people's livelihoods and productivity.

Second, the handling is not flexible and the rigid attitude of officers in the field has resulted in poor communication with the community. And third, the delivery of anti-pandemic information to people who are not on time and inadequate.

At the direction of the center to some of these areas, Beijing City no longer requires a negative COVID-19 test result that applies 48 hours to public transport passengers.

Malls and shopping centers are open but while still showing negative results of 48 hours for visitors and regulations for purchasing drugs at pharmacies and drug stores have also begun to be relaxed.

Beijing citizens do not have to register by attaching self-information when buying flu, fever, and other anti-infection drugs at pharmacies or drug stores.

Beijing still found 1,392 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Saturday (3/12)