Coronavirus: cost of China’s zero-Covid policy forces another local government to charge for tests
- Local governments have been burdened with increased expenditure as a result of Beijing’s zero-Covid policy and its hardline restrictions
- While more municipalities could start charging residents for Covid tests, it does not presage a major change in government policy, analysts say
Guizhou province in southwest China is the latest in a growing number of municipalities that have started charging people for Covid-19 tests, reflecting the mounting fiscal pressures faced by local governments stretched thin by zero-Covid, a property market slump and tax rebates.
Except for residents in “risky zones”, Covid tests are no longer free in Guizhou or the city of Yueyang in Hunan province, local authorities confirmed. Residents must pay a small fee, usually less than 5 yuan (US$0.70).
Across China, people still require a negative test result within 72 hours to enter public spaces, restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, offices and use transport.
A number of cities and districts in Sichuan, Gansu, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces have also started charging for Covid tests in recent months.
