China: Xi Jinping for maintaining the “zero Covid” strategy

China: President Xi's "Zero Covid" strategy still in force in China, Beijing, March 18, 2022. REUTERS - TINGSHU WANG

Text by: Stéphane Lagarde Follow

2 mins

China "

" to the "

" strategy, said Chinese President Xi Jinping, in the face of the rebound of the Omicron variant in the country.

And this despite the “

” fatigue after two years of the pandemic.

Advertising

Read more

From our correspondent in Beijing,

We lift the left leg, then the right leg, a leap forward, a leap back, the

of this health brigade in full protective suits performing a “

” to motivate themselves in the midst of a Covid resurgence, immediately became viral in China.

The surge in cases has led to the return of these phantoms with plexiglass visors above the mask in front of the massive screening tents in the megacities.

The Gospel According to Xi

Tired volunteers who need to be remobilised.

During a meeting of the main Chinese leaders on Thursday March 17, Xi Jinping thus indicated that the country would continue "

" reports the central television of China, implied in spite of the economic difficulties caused by these health restriction measures.

►Read: China: Covid-19 outbreak continues, travel reduced to a minimum

The health of the Chinese whatever the cost, even if the “

” strategy is forced to adapt, recognizes the Head of State, who calls in particular for strengthening key technological areas, such as vaccination, self-tests and drug research.

In its

, the National Health Commission rightly approved a Pfizer Covid treatment and authorized the antigen tests that have just been distributed in Jilin, one of the most affected provinces, reports

.

The declarations of the Head of State are gospel words in China, but in the present case, they do not close the debate.

Evolution of the “Zero Covid” strategy

China, where SARS-CoV-2 emerged in late 2019, has not seen any deaths linked to viral pneumonia for more than a year.

Health authorities are hoping for the release of Chinese mRNA vaccines in the spring.

These were already expected before the end of 2021, so as to strengthen the population's immunity against Omicron.

The Chinese in megalopolises are vaccinated at more than 85%, but Chinese inactivated vaccines have shown less effectiveness against Omicron.

While waiting for new vaccines and treatments, videos of the white jumpsuits, sometimes compared to the soldiers of the Galactic Empire

, continue to create buzz.

Some even transform their

.

Chinese epidemiologists, such as Zhang Wenhong recently, are now talking openly about a necessary evolution of the “Zero Covid” strategy, which would take into account the characteristics of the Omicron variant, which is more contagious, but less dangerous according to public health studies carried out in many countries. Many countries.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• China

• Coronavirus