China's top health organization declares a national liberalization of the program . The country's top health organization declared a national liberalization of the program on Wednesday .
Beijing: After a sudden reversal of President Xi Jinping's flagship pandemic program that struck the world's second-largest economy and ignited rare demonstrations, the country's top health organization declared a national liberalization of the program on Wednesday, which added the ability of some positive cases to quarantine at home, and putting an end to large-scale shutdowns.Traffic in Beijing has increased, but those that remain are also getting more frequent.Chen Min, 28, was 28 years old, wrapped in a down jacket, told AFP that he had come to be tested because the company wanted to avoid contaminating customers.At a nearby shopping center, businesses were open, but crowds were sparse, with guards checking visitors' health codes but not prescribing negative Covid tests.According to a Starbucks manager, people are still reluctant to go out.China is also braving a rash of infections that could occur as a result of the tighter regulations, according to a recent report, which suggests that over a million people could die every year from these infections.In another district of Beijing, an AFP reporter saw a steady stream of customers rushing into a local pharmacy for cold and fever drugs.
It could be enough for a year, she said.