Zero-Covid in China: what it’s like to live under the super strict policy – the good and the bad
- Daily PCR tests, sudden lockdowns and lockouts, quarantine hotel stays and policies that can travel through time mark people’s daily lives in zero-Covid China
- But it’s not all bad. Not only does it improve your knowledge of local geography, it hones your logistical and analytical skills to razor sharpness
China’s dynamic zero-Covid policy means exactly what it says: one Covid case is one too many, and is treated with the utmost seriousness.
Lockdowns are imposed immediately after a single Covid case is discovered, usually limited to individual buildings and compounds but which can spread across a city.
This is the experience of living with zero-Covid in China.
Checking the defences
For those who live in places where there has never been a citywide lockdown, the first thing you do upon waking is to check the official updates to see if Covid has suddenly broken through your city’s defences.
Now, there are different types of Covid case. If a case was discovered in an already locked down area, then you can breathe a sigh of relief – one cannot lock down what is already locked down. But, if a case was detected in the community, then lockdowns of buildings, housing compounds and shopping centres are likely to domino throughout the city.
The recent movements of every person who tested positive will also be published – hopefully, you did not party at the same bar on Friday evening. If you did, you will become a mi jie, or close contact. Your health code will turn red and your building will go into “stasis management” for a few days.