Why the zero-coronavirus policy backfired on Xi Jinping

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

ChinaBy now, it is known that there are strict rules to quell the spread of the corona virus or Coronavirus diseasein his country.

Their recently repealed zero-Covid policy is expected to be the best shield for a country reporting its first Covid case, which later became a global pandemic in 2020.

According to some experts, the surge in Covid cases backfired on China after some regulations were issued and implemented.

According to reports, Covid-19 cases have exploded in several parts of China in recent times. Flu and fever medicines that were previously banned from buying have sold out, leaving stocks empty.

There are long lines at medical clinics and emergency rooms. Corpses also don’t miss the “queue” for cremation.

Then, the government no longer wanted to report the daily progression of the number of Covid-19 infections there, adding to the confusion.

“I think China thinks its policies are working and that a gradual transition to an epidemic is feasible, but that’s not the case,” said Kenji Shibuya, a former senior adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO). Reuters.

Some experts believe that the reopening of the zero-coronavirus policy will only cause chaos within China. That’s because what Xi needs to address is not easing restrictions related to the existing pandemic, but increasing vaccinations for vulnerable groups.

So far, China has been too lax about vaccinations for the elderly. The vaccination rate of adults in Beijing is only 57.9%. Meanwhile, the elderly (80 years and over) reached only 42.3%.

“There is no transition time for the healthcare system to be ready for this,” said Zuogfeng Zhang, a professor of epidemiology at UCLA.

“If China doesn’t do as many Covid-19 tests and blockade“

China is also hesitant about Western-made mRNA vaccines. Although experts believe the vaccine is more effective than the one made in China.

Failure of the government’s vaccination efforts is also seen as jeopardizing the future of China’s health system.

“As we have seen in Hong Kong, where unvaccinated elderly people are at very high risk of death, China’s healthcare capacity could soon be overwhelmed by a surge in cases,” said Hiroshi Nishiura, a member of Japan’s Covid task force.

The success of the zero-Covid policy until cases spike again

Quoted from CNNIt should be admitted that the strict regulations of the zero-Covid-19 policy have been successfully implemented in China at first, and indeed they have been successful, especially when the Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing in early 2022.

At that point, China appeared to be “clean” from the rampage of the coronavirus, especially the Omicron variant that hit many countries around the world.

Beijing has tightened rules on the use of face masks, sprayed disinfectant everywhere and conducted massive Covid-19 testing. The success adds to the party’s claim that Beijing’s political system is superior to Western democracies in handling the pandemic.

That’s what Xi Jinping is touting as he prepares to run for a third term with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

However, it didn’t take long for Omicron to finally break through Beijing’s “magnificent” line of defense. In mid-March, China faced its worst surge since the pandemic began. Thousands of new cases are reported every day.

Bamboo countries have also strengthened health protocols, including implementing quarantine or blockade. Residents so stumbled. They lacked food, did not have access to adequate medical care, and were unable to find work until the isolation facilities collapsed.

Amidst this chaos have been incidents such as the death of a three-year-old child from gas inhalation during home quarantine. A four-month-old girl also died while in hotel quarantine because she was unable to receive 12 hours of medical care.

In late November, another fire broke out in an apartment in the Urumqi area. Ten people died at the time as firefighters were late due to closure delays. Residents were outraged as many lives were lost.

Needless to say, protests broke out everywhere. Public trust in Xi Jinping’s government has eroded.

The public demanded the repeal of the zero-coronavirus policy and urged Xi Jinping to step down.

Meanwhile, it appears that the omicron is in control. The country is recording more than 40,000 cases a day amid increasingly suffocating economic pressure.

In an effort to reassure citizens, the Chinese government has finally begun to ease restrictions. On December 7, Beijing’s strict control policy was lifted. The lockdown is complete and residents can isolate at home.

Officials no longer worry about the threat of the corona virus.

But unfortunately, the long-awaited repeal backfired on Chinese citizens, including Xi Jinping.

The current Covid-19 cases have dealt a severe blow to the credibility of the Chinese government.

according to channel news asia, China continues to face a massive spike in Covid-19 cases over the past month. Hospitals and crematoria across the country are overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients and victims.

China’s latest publicly available data on December 21 recorded 5,944 new Covid-19 cases. However, some political parties believe this figure is far from the actual number of cases and deaths caused by Covid-19.

As of Monday (26/12), Beijing even stopped publishing daily Covid-19 cases.

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