China must prepare to move on from its zero-Covid policy after Hong Kong’s terrible lesson

Like Hong Kong, the mainland’s hospital system and society are not yet prepared to handle an explosion of Covid-19 cases

In the long run, however, Beijing must look to live with the virus on its own terms, or risk seeing its Covid-19 accomplishments coming to naught, like Hong Kong’s

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A medical worker is seen at a Covid-19 mass testing venue in a Shanghai park on March 15. Chinese authorities need to make every effort to contain the latest surge in cases. Photo: EPA-EFE

Jersey Lee

Jersey Lee was an editor at the leading Chinese media organization Guancha.

Published: 6:45am, 18 Mar 2022

For two years, China has forged its own path in its absolute commitment to a zero-Covid policy. This reflects Beijing’s ability to eliminate Covid-19 from within its borders and prevent millions of deaths when most countries, unable to do anything similar, decided to abandon such attempts.

The arrival of the highly contagious but less lethal Omicron variant, combined with the increased availability of effective therapeutics and vaccines, should prompt a reassessment of the cost-to-benefit ratio of the different Covid-19 approaches.

Most people have probably heard the arguments over the past two years, especially following the roll-out of vaccines, that it is time to live with the virus, we cannot keep out the world forever, etc.

I won’t seek to make those arguments here, or the case that the economic pain from lockdowns and indirect deaths justify a quick return to normalcy – these have been made many times already.