Limits to rugged individualism
4 years, 9 months ago

Limits to rugged individualism

The Hindu  

As the global battle against COVID-19 progresses, it is beginning to reveal deep fault lines in the national psyches of countries that are facing the prospect of high infection rates. Italy, Spain and France, countries that have seen surges in infection cases that have not been witnessed anywhere else outside China, also implemented lockdown measures that were perceived as unavoidable even if draconian. Since COVID-19 started impacting the U.S. in January, President Donald Trump has swung between two contradictory messages: downplaying the risks of the virus hitting the American people and economy badly and hinting that they ought to self-regulate their collective and individual behaviour to slow its spread. When, as the U.S. correspondent of this newspaper, I covered the intensely partisan 2010 debates over former President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare reform policy, the Affordable Care Act, I saw how it was for many Americans the idea that the government could “mandate” anything, even enrolment in an insurance programme, that was more galling, even more than the idea that it was one political party or the other that was scoring points in Congress over the ensuing nastiness around the bill. Part of the problem that hobbled and seemed to prematurely age Mr. Obama through the struggle to get the ACA passed remains today — under the federalist system of the U.S., States still enjoy disproportionate powers that could, especially over local enforcement questions such as a lockdown, limit Washington’s options.

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History of this topic

China stands alone in its attitude towards the pandemic
11 months ago

China stands alone in its attitude towards the pandemic

Hindustan Times  

The omicron variant of COVID-19 poses enormous challenges for governments. In America, cases are at three times their previous peak in January 2021, hospitals are as busy as they have ever been and deaths have risen by 40% in two weeks to 1,800 per day. Covid In China: Security guards wearing personal protective equipment amid the Covid-19 pandemic sit at …

China to remain alert even as WHO declares COVID-19 global emergency over
1 year, 8 months ago

China to remain alert even as WHO declares COVID-19 global emergency over

Firstpost  

A top Chinese health official said that despite the World Health Organisation ending the worldwide emergency designation for COVID-19, the virus is still dangerous and China will continue to monitor it while boosting vaccination rates among high-risk groups. According to Liang Wannian, head of China’s COVID-19 response expert group under the National Health Commission, the warning status being lifted by …

China opens borders to tourists after 3 years of restrictions
1 year, 9 months ago

China opens borders to tourists after 3 years of restrictions

The Hindu  

China will, starting March 15, 2023, fully reopen its borders and allow tourists back into the country after three years of pandemic restrictions. Foreigners “with valid visas issued before March 28, 2020 will be allowed to enter China”, the National Immigration Administration said in a notice, adding that it had “decided to adjust policies of foreigners’ visas and entry from …

U.S. to relax COVID testing rules for travelers from China as early as Friday
1 year, 10 months ago

U.S. to relax COVID testing rules for travelers from China as early as Friday

LA Times  

The Biden administration is preparing to relax COVID-19 testing restrictions for travelers from China as soon as Friday, according to two people familiar with the decision. The restrictions were put in place Dec. 28 and took effect Jan. 5 amid the surge in China after the government sharply eased pandemic restrictions and as U.S. health officials expressed concerns that their …

China says 200 million treated for COVID since November, pandemic ‘decisively’ beaten
1 year, 10 months ago

China says 200 million treated for COVID since November, pandemic ‘decisively’ beaten

LA Times  

Commuters during the morning rush hour in the central business district of Beijing on Thursday. China says more than 200 million of its citizens have been diagnosed and treated for COVID-19 since it lifted strict containment measures beginning in November. With 800,000 of the most critically ill patients having recovered, China has “decisively beaten” the pandemic, according to notes from …

COVID-19 update: China faces challenge due to flawed containment policies, ineffective vaccines, says Report
1 year, 11 months ago

COVID-19 update: China faces challenge due to flawed containment policies, ineffective vaccines, says Report

India TV News  

China COVID-19 update : China is facing a significant challenge in the form of COVID-19, due to the Chinese Communist Party's "flawed and regressive containment policies and ineffective domestically produced vaccines," GeoPolitica.info reported. China's COVID-19 containment strategy has affected Chinese people and has caused major discontent among people in the country, as per the GeoPolitica.info report. Vaccines manufactured in China …

Decoding China’s COVID-19 Policy U-Turn
1 year, 11 months ago

Decoding China’s COVID-19 Policy U-Turn

The Diplomat  

On November 30, several districts in the southern hub metropolis Guangzhou took the lead in lifting a large number of COVID-19-related lockdowns, as well as suspending testing requirements. In face of this, local and provincial administrations – in adherence to official party doctrine concerning “zero COVID” – turned to lockdowns and mass testing campaigns as desperate measures in tackling the …

Countries politicizing COVID-19 response harm others without benefiting themselves
1 year, 11 months ago

Countries politicizing COVID-19 response harm others without benefiting themselves

China Daily  

Travelers walk at Capital International Airport in Beijing. Countries imposing entry restrictions on China travelers should listen to these voices and adopt a fact-based manner, make their COVID-19 response scientific, avoid political manipulation and discriminative measures, and maintain normal cross-border exchanges and cooperation. As the world is facing increased downward pressure on the global economy, China's optimization of the COVID-19 …

China’s Covid Policy: Beijing can’t be trusted as a responsible player
1 year, 11 months ago

China’s Covid Policy: Beijing can’t be trusted as a responsible player

Times of India  

TOI Quick Edits are written by a team of seasoned journalists from the Times of India's Edit Page and TOI-Online who respond to important news stories as they develop. MORE In another indictment of China’s Covid policy, the WHO has again said that Beijing needs to share more data on its Covid outbreak and that it still believes Chinese authorities …

China defends its move against South Korea, Japan Covid travel curbs: 'Reasonable...'
1 year, 11 months ago

China defends its move against South Korea, Japan Covid travel curbs: 'Reasonable...'

Hindustan Times  

Chinese state media defended on Wednesday the retaliatory measures against South Korea and Japan over their COVID-19 travel curbs as "reasonable", while Chinese tourists decried Seoul's "insulting" treatment on social media. China defends its move against South Korea, Japan Covid travel curbs. South Korean foreign minister Park Jin has said that Seoul's decision was based on scientific evidence and that …

China Covid surge not expected to 'significantly impact' Europe: WHO
1 year, 11 months ago

China Covid surge not expected to 'significantly impact' Europe: WHO

Hindustan Times  

The director of the World Health Organization’s Europe office said Tuesday that the agency sees “no immediate threat" for the European region from a COVID-19 outbreak in China, but more information is needed. Other countries including the U.S., India, Japan, South Korea and several European nations have announced tougher COVID-19 measures on travelers from China amid concerns over a lack …

Explainer: Chinese medical experts on key COVID-19 concerns through FAQs
2 years ago

Explainer: Chinese medical experts on key COVID-19 concerns through FAQs

China Daily  

A medical worker in a protective suit adjusts a monitoring device for a patient at the fever clinics of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Responding to online reports of vomiting and diarrhea caused by XBB, Li Tongzeng, a chief doctor with the department of respiratory and infectious diseases at Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, said symptoms of …

Explainer: Chinese medical experts on key COVID-19 concerns through FAQs
2 years ago

Explainer: Chinese medical experts on key COVID-19 concerns through FAQs

China Daily  

A medical worker in a protective suit adjusts a monitoring device for a patient at the fever clinics of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Responding to online reports of vomiting and diarrhea caused by XBB, Li Tongzeng, a chief doctor with the department of respiratory and infectious diseases at Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, said symptoms of …

Europe faces no immediate COVID-19 threat from China, WHO says
2 years ago

Europe faces no immediate COVID-19 threat from China, WHO says

LA Times  

Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s director for Europe, says the agency sees “no immediate threat” for the European region from a COVID-19 outbreak in China, but more information is needed. The director of the World Health Organization’s Europe office said Tuesday that the agency sees “no immediate threat” for the European region from a COVID-19 outbreak in China, but …

Nations tighten Covid restrictions as China reopens its borders. Top 5 updates
2 years ago

Nations tighten Covid restrictions as China reopens its borders. Top 5 updates

Hindustan Times  

Several countries are likely to see a surge in Chinese travellers as the country rolls back its quarantine guidelines for inbound travellers. The world's populous country, which is reeling under the impact of Covid spike, is entering the Lunar New Year this month leading millions to travel within the country from megacities to countryside. Likewise, many countries are giving an …

China enters new phase of COVID response
2 years ago

China enters new phase of COVID response

China Daily  

BEIJING -- From Jan 8, China starts managing COVID-19 with measures designed for combating Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases. Confronted with epidemic uncertainties, China has always been putting people's lives and health first, adapting its COVID response in light of the evolving situation. The fast-changing features of the virus and the complicated evolution of epidemic …

China enters new phase of COVID response
2 years ago

China enters new phase of COVID response

China Daily  

BEIJING -- From Jan 8, China starts managing COVID-19 with measures designed for combating Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases. Confronted with epidemic uncertainties, China has always been putting people's lives and health first, adapting its COVID response in light of the evolving situation. The fast-changing features of the virus and the complicated evolution of epidemic …

China enters new phase of COVID response
2 years ago

China enters new phase of COVID response

China Daily  

From Sunday, China starts managing COVID-19 with measures designed for combating Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases. Confronted with epidemic uncertainties, China has always been putting people's lives and health first, adapting its COVID response in light of the evolving situation. The fast-changing features of the virus and the complicated evolution of epidemic response posed serious …

China's 'Great Migration' Kicks-off Under Shadow of Covid, 2 Billion People to Travel in 40 Days
2 years ago

China's 'Great Migration' Kicks-off Under Shadow of Covid, 2 Billion People to Travel in 40 Days

News 18  

China on Saturday marked the first day of “chun yun”, the 40-day period of Lunar New Year travel known pre-pandemic as the world’s largest annual migration of people, bracing for a huge increase in travellers and the spread of COVID-19 infections. “China’s rural areas are wide, the population is large, and the per capita medical resources are relatively insufficient,” National …

Explained: Why China's COVID surge isn't a threat to other nations
2 years ago

Explained: Why China's COVID surge isn't a threat to other nations

Firstpost  

Majority of nations currently have high immunity and protection against severe disease and death from COVID, in contrast to China at the beginning of this wave China is currently in the midst of a severe wave of COVID infections and deaths. Although vaccination is the safest way to protect against COVID, emerging research shows protection against severe disease is sustained …

In China, zero-COVID policy to zero COVID policies
2 years ago

In China, zero-COVID policy to zero COVID policies

The Hindu  

On December 20, almost two weeks since China’s sudden and unexpected scrapping of its stringent “zero-COVID” policy, the country officially reported a little over 3,000 COVID-19 cases. The Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, in the lead-up to the Congress, published three editorials on consecutive days, calling for “patience with current policies” and warning that “zero COVID must be adhered to”. …

China seeks to minimise COVID-19 risk during travel rush
2 years ago

China seeks to minimise COVID-19 risk during travel rush

The Hindu  

China is seeking to minimise the possibility of a major new COVID-19 outbreak during this month’s Lunar New Year travel rush following the end of most pandemic containment measures. People using public transport are also urged to wear masks and pay special attention to their health and personal hygiene, Vice Minister Xu Chengguang told reporters at a briefing. China abruptly …

China seeks to minimise possibility of major COVID-19 outbreak during travel rush
2 years ago

China seeks to minimise possibility of major COVID-19 outbreak during travel rush

Firstpost  

China abruptly ended a strict regime of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing in December amid growing concerns about the economic impact and rare public protests in a country that permits no open political dissent Beijing: China is seeking to minimize the possibility of a major new COVID-19 outbreak during this month’s Lunar New Year travel rush following the end of …

WHO worried about COVID-19 surge in China amid lack of info
2 years ago

WHO worried about COVID-19 surge in China amid lack of info

LA Times  

Shoppers wearing masks visit a popular mall in Beijing on New Year’s Day. The head of the World Health Organization said this week that the agency is “concerned about the risk to life in China” amid the coronavirus’ explosive spread across the country and the lack of outbreak data from the Chinese government. Tedros said he understood why numerous countries …

WHO worried about surge of COVID in China amid lack of info
2 years ago

WHO worried about surge of COVID in China amid lack of info

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday the agency is “concerned about the risk to life in China” amid the coronavirus’ explosive spread across the country and the lack of outbreak data from the Chinese government. “The reality for China is that many countries they don’t have enough information to base their risk assessment,” he said. …

Beijing threatens response to ‘unacceptable’ virus measures
2 years ago

Beijing threatens response to ‘unacceptable’ virus measures

Associated Press  

BEIJING — The Chinese government sharply criticized COVID-19 testing requirements imposed on visitors from China and threatened countermeasures against countries involved, which include the U.S. and several European nations. “We believe that the entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis, and some excessive practices are even more unacceptable,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a …

China ‘under-representing’ severity of COVID outbreak, says WHO
2 years ago

China ‘under-representing’ severity of COVID outbreak, says WHO

Al Jazeera  

A senior official at the WHO criticised China’s ‘too narrow’ definition for COVID-related deaths. China’s official data is under-representing the true impact of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, a senior World Health Organization official has said, criticising its “very narrow” definition of COVID deaths. Meanwhile, in a briefing earlier on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that the …

EU, Beijing heading for collision over China’s COVID crisis
2 years ago

EU, Beijing heading for collision over China’s COVID crisis

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union and China on Tuesday moved closer to a political standoff over the COVID-19 crisis, with Beijing vehemently rejecting travel restrictions some EU nations have started to impose that could be expanded in coming days. A special EU health security committee joining representatives from the EU member nations discussed potential measures Tuesday, and EU spokesman Tim …

70% of Chinese megacity infected with Covid, doctor says
2 years ago

70% of Chinese megacity infected with Covid, doctor says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. WHO officials have met counterparts from China’s National Health …

China blasts ‘unacceptable’ COVID curbs on travellers
2 years ago

China blasts ‘unacceptable’ COVID curbs on travellers

Al Jazeera  

The US, Canada, Japan and France are among more than a dozen countries that have put curbs on travellers from China. China has called the mounting international restrictions on travellers from its territory “unacceptable” after more than a dozen countries placed new coronavirus curbs on visitors from the world’s most populous nation. An “overwhelming majority” of the EU’s 27 member …

EU and Beijing heading for collision over China’s COVID-19 crisis
2 years ago

EU and Beijing heading for collision over China’s COVID-19 crisis

LA Times  

A passenger arriving from China is tested for COVID-19 at the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, on Sunday. A special EU health security committee joining representatives from the EU member nations discussed potential measures Tuesday, and EU spokesman Tim McPhie said that “the overwhelming majority of countries are in favor of pre-departure testing” in China. Sweden, which holds the EU …

China's Xi Jinping has a plot to infect the world, spread new Covid-19 variant, warns Mike Pompeo
2 years ago

China's Xi Jinping has a plot to infect the world, spread new Covid-19 variant, warns Mike Pompeo

Firstpost  

Washington: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping has a plot to infect the world and spread a new Covid-19 variant. The former Trump official told radio host John Catsimatidis that Covid could rapidly spread across the globe because more Chinese residents are now free to travel after the Xi administration dropped its strict …

Canada, Australia impose rules on travellers from China
2 years ago

Canada, Australia impose rules on travellers from China

The Hindu  

Australia and Canada have joined a growing list of countries requiring travellers from China to take a COVID-19 test prior to boarding their flight, as China battles a nationwide outbreak of coronavirus after abruptly easing restrictions that were in place for much of the pandemic. Australian health authorities said on January 1 that from January 5 all air travellers from …

Australia, Canada impose COVID curbs on travellers from China
2 years ago

Australia, Canada impose COVID curbs on travellers from China

Al Jazeera  

Australia, Canada and Morocco are the latest to impose restrictions on travellers from China amid surge in COVID-19 cases. Australian Health Minister Mark Butler on Sunday cited Beijing’s “lack of comprehensive information” about COVID-19 cases as the reasoning behind the travel requirement, which will take effect on January 5. The Canadian government also cited “the limited epidemiological and viral genomic …

China’s Xi says country’s COVID prevention enters new phase
2 years ago

China’s Xi says country’s COVID prevention enters new phase

Al Jazeera  

The president says Beijing overcame unprecedented challenges in the battle against COVID amid a new significant wave of cases in the country. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for more effort and unity as the country enters a “new phase” in its approach to combating the pandemic. “At present, the epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase,” he …

State media says Covid curbs on Chinese travellers ‘discriminatory’
2 years ago

State media says Covid curbs on Chinese travellers ‘discriminatory’

Hindustan Times  

Beijing: Chinese state media on Thursday said restrictions imposed by several countries, including India, on travellers from China were “discriminatory”, amid reports of Covid rampaging through the country after it reversed some of the world’s strictest virus-control policies in early December. “Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China has been sharing relevant information and data with the international community, including …

‘Real intention is to sabotage’: China calls Covid curbs for Chinese travellers ‘discriminatory’
2 years ago

‘Real intention is to sabotage’: China calls Covid curbs for Chinese travellers ‘discriminatory’

Firstpost  

Countries including India, United States, South Korea, Italy, Japan and Taiwan have imposed mandatory COVID tests for travellers from China after the country reported spike in cases Beijing: Several countries have announced mandatory testing for travellers from China in response to a surging wave of Covid-19 infection in the Asian nation. For the unversed, India, United States, South Korea, Italy, …

Covid data transparent, insists China as nations impose more travel curbs
2 years ago

Covid data transparent, insists China as nations impose more travel curbs

India Today  

When China, a country of 1.4 billion people, suddenly decided to end zero-Covid policy three years into the pandemic, there was an explosion in number of fresh cases. READ | China may become breeding ground for new Covid variants as cases spike: Experts This created a Covid scare forcing countries to begin testing of fliers from China and elsewhere. Covid …

WHO says China COVID travel restrictions ‘understandable’
2 years ago

WHO says China COVID travel restrictions ‘understandable’

Al Jazeera  

Many countries are imposing restrictions on travellers from China because of a surge in infections. The World Health Organization has said it needs more information to assess the latest surge in COVID-19 infections in China, but called the global concern and uptick in travel restrictions “understandable”. Several countries are imposing restrictions on travellers from China because of a surge in …

UK government considers Covid testing travellers from China amid virus surge
2 years ago

UK government considers Covid testing travellers from China amid virus surge

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “But what the Italians are doing is post-flight surveillance of arrivals in Italy in …

Global alarm grows over China\'s COVID-19 surge
2 years ago

Global alarm grows over China\'s COVID-19 surge

Deccan Chronicle  

BEIJING: The United States is the latest in a growing number of countries to impose restrictions on visitors from China after Beijing abruptly removed a major impediment to overseas travel despite surging Covid cases at home. Hospitals across China have been overwhelmed by an explosion of Covid cases following Beijing's decision to lift strict rules that had largely kept the …

DC Edit | China endangering world again
2 years ago

DC Edit | China endangering world again

Deccan Chronicle  

China’s healthcare system is buckling under the strain of its latest and outlandish decision of taking down all Covid controls so rapidly that the country is endangering the world all over again. From late 2019 in Wuhan where the pathogen may have jumped species to spread panic over the coronavirus to the close of 2022, China took several decisions that …

Covid-19 pandemic: Australia could place new restrictions on Chinese travelers
2 years ago

Covid-19 pandemic: Australia could place new restrictions on Chinese travelers

Daily Mail  

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is yet to rule out forcing new Covid-19 restrictions on Chinese travellers amid fears another new variant could soon hit our shores. China this week announced plans to scrap quarantine restrictions on overseas arrivals and allow citizens to leave the country, despite an explosion of new cases nationwide in recent weeks. Australia could place reinstate restrictions …

US may restrict travel from China over lack of transparency about exploding rates of Covid cases
2 years ago

US may restrict travel from China over lack of transparency about exploding rates of Covid cases

Daily Mail  

The US fears China is hiding its true Covid case and death tallies from the public The policy change comes as cases and hospitalizations explode in Beijing Arrivals from China to the US will now be required to test negative for Covid The US will require all incoming travelers from China to submit proof of a negative Covid test before …

China’s pivot in COVID plan sparks jitters worldwide
2 years ago

China’s pivot in COVID plan sparks jitters worldwide

The Hindu  

Beijing’s sudden pivot away from containing COVID-19 has caused jitters around the world, with the United States saying it may restrict travel from China following its decision to end mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals. China late on Monday scrapped quarantine for inbound travellers from January 8 onwards, dismantling the last remaining piece of its stringent zero-COVID policy and ending some …

China releases details of COVID-19 management shift
2 years ago

China releases details of COVID-19 management shift

China Daily  

BEIJING -- China has announced that it will be downgrading its management of COVID-19 as of Jan 8, treating it as a Class B infection, rather than a more serious Class A infection. He listed the fact that China has closely followed the mutation of the virus, moved fast on vaccination promotion and the supply of medicines, built up its …

Is China good at controlling but not ruling? What the COVID-19 crisis says
2 years ago

Is China good at controlling but not ruling? What the COVID-19 crisis says

Firstpost  

If good governance is about transparency, responsibility, accountability and responsiveness to the needs of the people, the Chinese government has barely practised it, either in its harsh “zero-COVID” policy, or in its haphazard reopening In its single-minded pursuit of the “zero-COVID” strategy, the Chinese government was omnipresent and omnipotent, using its unlimited resources and unchecked power to control the nation. …

China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases
2 years ago

China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases

China Daily  

Travelers enter a terminal at Beijing Capital International Airport to take flights on Thursday as some restrictions for travel were eased. CUI JUN/FOR CHINA DAILY BEIJING - China will manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases, in a major shift of its epidemic response policies. China has renamed the Chinese term for …

China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases
2 years ago

China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases

China Daily  

Xinhua| Updated :2022-12-27 China will manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases, in a major shift of its epidemic response policies. Starting from Jan. 8, China will downgrade management of the disease from Class A to Class B in accordance with the country's law on prevention and treatment of infectious disease, and …

China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases
2 years ago

China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases

China Daily  

Travelers enter a terminal at Beijing Capital International Airport to take flights on Thursday as some restrictions for travel were eased. CUI JUN/FOR CHINA DAILY BEIJING - China will manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases, in a major shift of its epidemic response policies. China has renamed the Chinese term for …

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