Guangzhou eases lockdown as Covid cases rise

• Published date: 01 December 2022

Guangzhou has partially lifted a weeks-long lockdown, a departure from the strict enforcement of China's zero-COVID policy despite the city of 18 million people suffering its worst COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic erupted

Officials in the southern manufacturing hub yesterday eased restrictions on movement over about half of the city's 11 districts, including Haizhu, where migrant workers have clashed with police over the past month.

The easing of restrictions came a day after Beijing blamed local governments for their handling of outbreaks that sparked protests across more than 20 cities.

"People on the street are saying we're free," William Zi, a resident of Haizhu, said. "I don't know if it's the end of the pandemic - it's been 20 days at home so we're free now at least."

Local officials' announcement to ease lockdowns followed direct approval from Beijing, two people familiar with the decision said. The timing of the measures, coming despite nearly 7,000 new cases being reported yesterday, was seen as an indication of a broader change in policy direction.

"I think they are doing a trial here in Guangzhou to see whether it works . . . whether even if they do less mass testing and don't execute the really stringent lockdowns, whether COVID could still be put under control," said Jin Dong-yan, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong.

"If it works they might do the same in other Chinese cities."

Peaceful demonstrations

The easing drove stocks higher in Hong Kong as investors hoped for a path out of Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy that has hammered sentiment in the world's second-biggest economy.

Earlier yesterday, the US envoy to China urged Xi Jinping's administration not to interfere with peaceful demonstrations just as a Communist party security chief warned against "hostile" forces

China has been shaken by vigils for a deadly apartment fire in Urumqi, Xinjiang, that was partly blamed on coronavirus restrictions...