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China unfolds

Guilherme RegoGuilherme Rego*

In both China and Macau, those coming from abroad will have to comply with the 5+3 model (five days in a designated hotel and three days of home quarantine), which replaces the 7+3 (seven days in a designated hotel and three days of home self-management). For foreign visitors and returning residents, the measure seems to be a poisoned gift, a step backwards: instead of seven days of quarantine, it is now eight.

Short, yes, especially when the pressure is on for the country’s full reopening.

Read also: Macau prepares second round of Covid-19 tests for the entire population

China slows its growth by not yielding to Covid-19. Those who did give in are beginning to reap the rewards.

But even if at first glance it doesn’t seem like it, the changes have been significant.

Secondary contacts are no longer identified. On Monday, several cities, including Shanghai, announced that nucleic acid testing will be abolished or suspended.

On the other hand, “high, medium, and low risk” zones are now changed to “high and low risk,” minimizing the problem for people forced into quarantine and health monitoring.

Read also: Covid-19: Positive case at Fai Chi Kei puts Macau on alert

Those who have been in high-risk areas will do seven to five days of home quarantine, replacing centralized quarantine. Nucleic acid testing will be conducted among people working in high-risk positions or key agreement groups, and expansion of testing coverage is prohibited.

Internally, the paradigm has changed. It is working to have “minimal interruptions” in the lives of people and businesses.

On the other hand, from a reopening perspective, important business and sports groups are now also allowed to be transferred directly to closed-loop management areas, exempt from quarantine.

For full reopening still remains to be done. Going from eight to eighty rips completely with the advocated policy – and it cannot. But even with a considerable number of Covid-19 cases in the country, this circular demonstrates an important change in mindset.

The virus is inescapable, and that is already understood in Beijing.

*Executive Director of PLATAFORMA

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