China’s Guangdong province rules out special health code for unvaccinated and warns against ‘excessive’ restrictions
- The provincial health authority dismissed a suggestion that those who were not vaccinated or tested should be given a blue code
- Chinese local authorities have sometimes introduced strict controls on residents in an attempt to comply with the country’s zero-Covid policy
The Guangdong Provincial Health Commission posted a statement on its website this week ruling out the suggestion from Liu Shixing, a local representative on the National People’s Congress, that those who failed to get vaccinated or tested should be given a “blue health code for easier management”.
One can turn the health code green by getting tested or following quarantine procedures that differ from city to city.
In the statement, the Guangdong health authorities said there was no national policy that supports an additional code and a blue code might cause inconvenience for some people because not everyone can get vaccinated
“We suggest that all cities should strictly regulate the function of health codes and not expand their scope of application, and caution against excessive restrictions,” the health commission said.
China continues to grapple with a low vaccination rate, especially among its elderly population. Only 61 per cent of those aged above 80, one of the most vulnerable groups, have received their primary vaccinations, health officials said last week, and only 38 per cent of people in that age group have received a booster shot.
