Shoppers in Beijing on July 5. Masks are still ubiquitous in Covid-Zero China, even outdoors in the major cities.
Source: Bloomberg
China’s Covid Zero Could Last for Years Because It Works for Xi
What if the country stays closed indefinitely to keep the virus out?
It’s 2025 in Beijing, five years since the start of the pandemic, and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Covid Zero policy is still an inescapable part of daily life.
Residents must get PCR tested every few days at one of the booths on nearly every street corner. A personalized health code app determines who can move around the capital, and where. Children have to test negative to go to the park. Something as simple as a visit to a coffee shop or supermarket can result in being locked down in your apartment, not even allowed out for food – which the state instead provides.