Shanghai-based renowned infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong, in his Sina Weibo post, on Wednesday said that sustaining a normal life should be placed in the same important position as implementing dynamic zero-case policy and the mindset of "fighting the virus regardless of costs" should be abandoned.
These remarks came at a time when Shanghai, has seen a sharp increase in the covid cases and is grappling with the situation. Shanghai reported four confirmed cases and 979 asymptomatic cases, according to the local health commission on Thursday, reported the Global Times.
Zhang, in his post titled "Coronavirus not scary but difficult to fight", said, "The combat against coronavirus is a long-term one, it requires us not only to stamp out the epidemic, but also guarantee people's lives and normal access to hospitals, and the survival of businesses. All these will become the focus of a later phase of Shanghai's fight against coronavirus."
Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Beijing will stick to its "zero Covid-19" policy, days after National Health Commission (NHC) released new guidelines easing its control measures.The NHC had uploaded a new document on its website. Titled the Novel Coronavirus Diagnosis And Treatment Plan, it was the ninth revision to a document setting out COVID-19 policy for the country of 1.4 billion.China's zero-COVID policy is pushing cash-strapped local governments to the brink amid rising health care costs and efforts to control debt.
( With inputs from ANI )
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