Global Times – 3 October 2021 A ‘zero-Covid’ strategy has been the right path for China, according to top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan. Zhong noted that “China’s COVID-19 control reflected the principle of “healthy China” that is achieved not via treatment but by prevention. It is also in line with traditional Chinese medicine’s philosophy —…
East Asia Forum – 27 September 2021 China’s no-tolerance approach to Covid-19 is a safe but unsustainable strategy when it comes to returning to a level of normality in future, according to this article on East Asia Forum. No plans for living with an endemic disease means the country is not yet ready to put…
The Economist – 6 October 2021 The people of Hong Kong can enjoy freedom within their own borders however are subject to strict immigration and quarantine rules out-with as a result of a no-toleration approach to the pandemic. The Economist explains why Hong Kong’s ‘zero-Covid’ strategy has resulted in a population with high vaccine-hesitancy and…
Michelle Fay Cortez and Ainsley Thomson, TIME – 6 October 2021 One by one, countries in Asia are abandoning their zero-tolerance Covid strategies in place of vaccination protection policies. This is isolating China on the world Covid-stage, according to this article, which states that “China’s isolation is complete, raising the stakes on how long it…
The Economist – 9 October 2021 “Yet those with a good first act are struggling in the second. The coronavirus, especially the highly infectious Delta variant, usually has the last word”. According to this article on The Economist, despite the risks of low vaccination rates, Southeast Asian countries opening up their economies are right to…
Bloomberg, South China Morning Post – 13 September 2021 Despite experiencing one of the worst waves of infections, countries in Southeast Asia are slowly concluding that their un-sustainable ‘zero-Covid’ policies are crippling the domestic economy. Replicating Singapore’s strategy, they are choosing to open up their economies. Read the full article here.
Jessie Yeung and Ben Westcott, CNN – 22 September 2021 Strict restrictions in Southeast Asia look ready to end as countries in the region leave behind their zero-Covid policies and look to open up their borders and economies. However, experts warn that low vaccination rates could make opening up a much higher risk than in…
The Economist Intelligence Unit – 12 May 2021 This update on Chinese outbound tourism by The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts a slow wait for the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, highlighting 2024 as the expected timeframe for the sector returning to pre-pandemic levels. The report also forecasts a shift in Chinese tourists’ travel habits in the…
Alberto Giubilini, University of Oxford and Vageesh Jain, UCL – The Conversation To be properly protective, COVID-19 vaccines need to be given to most people worldwide. Only through widespread vaccination will we reach herd immunity – where enough people are immune to stop the disease from spreading freely. To achieve this, some have suggested vaccines…
