After China’s Covid backflip, megacity urges people with mild symptoms to keep going to work

Last month, Chongqing reported more than 80,000 infections, now authorities say PCR testing is not needed to enter most public places

Problematic market behaviour such as hoarding medical products and price gouging will be punished, according to notice

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In China, as Covid-19 infections rise, people anticipating a winter wave are buying more medicines, reportedly causing a shortage of cold and flu medicines across China. In Chongqing, profiteers have been put on notice. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 4:56pm, 19 Dec 2022Updated: 5:10pm, 19 Dec 2022

The megacity of Chongqing in southwestern China is asking people with mild Covid-19 symptoms or no symptoms at all to work as usual as case numbers surge in the aftermath of Beijing’s policy pivot.

The announcement came a day after the eastern province of Zhejiang – a major economic hub in China – said those with no symptoms could “continue to work, if need be, if they took requisite personal protections”.

The big step towards living with Covid-19 came as China’s authorities suddenly stopped mentioning “zero-Covid” and changed their pandemic response from closely monitoring outbreaks to treating infections, particularly severe cases.

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According to the notice by Chongqing government on Monday, PCR testing is not needed to enter public places – from government institutions to social enterprises – except to enter “special sites” such as schools, nurseries and care homes for the elderly, and for newly admitted patients and their companions going into hospitals.

People who do not have coronavirus symptoms do not need to test themselves for the virus or take any medicine, and those who show mild or no symptoms can “work as normal”, depending on their position and health, according to Chongqing authorities.

Cases were rising in the city last month before the Covid-19 rules were relaxed, with the number of infections exceeding 80,000, state news agency Xinhua said.

After China’s Covid backflip, megacity urges people with mild symptoms to keep going to work

Last month, Chongqing reported more than 80,000 infections, now authorities say PCR testing is not needed to enter most public places Problematic market behaviour such as hoarding medical products and price gouging will be punished, according to notice

Last month, Chongqing reported more than 80,000 infections, now authorities say PCR testing is not needed to enter most public places

Problematic market behaviour such as hoarding medical products and price gouging will be punished, according to notice