China suspends social media accounts of critics of Covid-19 policy

China has suspended or closed the accounts of more than a thousand people on social media, due to their criticism of the government's policies related to confronting the spread of Covid 19, at a time when the country is moving towards more openness.

Popular social media platform Sina Weibo said it had addressed 12,854 violations, including attacks on experts, scholars and medical personnel, and issued temporary or permanent bans to 1,120 accounts.

The ruling Communist Party has relied heavily on the medical community to justify its strict lockdowns, quarantine measures and mass testing, which were abandoned almost hastily last month, leading to a surge in new infections that has stretched medical resources to their limits.

Sina Weibo said in a statement dated Thursday that the company "will continue to investigate and clean up all kinds of illegal content, and create a harmonious and friendly community environment for the majority of users."

Criticism has focused largely on open-ended travel restrictions that have left people confined to their homes for weeks, sometimes without adequate food or medical care.

Anger was also vented over the requirement that anyone who potentially tested positive, or had contact with such a person, be held for observation in a field hospital, where overcrowding and poor food and hygiene are commonly cited.

In the end, the social and economic costs led to rare street protests in Beijing and other cities, which may have influenced the party's decision to quickly ease the tougher measures.

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