Medical workers in protective gears carry bags of COVID test samples taken from the people who work at a shopping mall following several COVID-19 cases detected in the area in Beijing on 17 October. AP
New Delhi: In a bizarre quarantine notice, Covid prevention office in Ruili city of China extended the quarantine period of a citizen by seven days for chatting with the head out of the window last month, thereby violating the Covid prevention quarantine policy.
The post was shared on Twitter by The Great Translation Movement along with the notice and captioned it: “It’s beyond science, beyond common sense, it’s zero-Covid China”.
“According to surveillance/on-site inspection, you were chatting with head out of the window at 12:18 pm on October 24, 2022 during quarantine, which violated Covid prevention quarantine policy, very likely causing Covid spread and cross infection,” read the notice.
“For your and other people’s health, and to control the epidemic, it has been decided to extend/restart your quarantine for another seven days starting October 24. Please follow strictly,” added the notice.
The unpopular ‘zero-Covid’ policy is a strategy that aims to drive down and ultimately eliminate the number of Covid-19 cases by imposing extremely strict lockdowns and crippling travel bans.
The policy, the goal of which is to stamp out the coronavirus by use of harsh, blunt-weapon techniques irrespective of the pain and disruption it causes, has taken a heavy toll on China’s people and its economy.
In many parts of the country, lockdowns, mandatory quarantines, incessant mass testing edicts and travel restrictions continue to cripple businesses and daily life, even as the rest of the world moves on from the pandemic.
Experts say they see no signs of the Chinese government taking steps that would suggest it is rethinking its approach.
Chinese health officials maintain that changing tack now would risk a huge surge in infections and deaths that could overwhelm the country’s fragile health care system.
With inputs from agencies
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