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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Helen Davidson in Taipei

Alarm in Beijing after announcement zero-Covid policy may last five years

A security guard looks on as students arrive for classes as many schools reopened in Beijing
A security guard looks on as students arrive for classes as many schools reopened in Beijing on Monday. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Authorities in Beijing have sparked confusion and alarm after announcing the strict zero-Covid policy could be in place for the next five years, including mass mandatory testing and travel restrictions.

The notice, published on Monday afternoon, was attributed to Cai Qi, the Beijing secretary of the Chinese Communist party. The original text said: “In the next five years, Beijing will unremittingly grasp the normalisation of epidemic prevention and control.”

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