BResidents of eijing will have to prove their vaccination in order to be allowed to use a number of public areas. This is the first time China has issued a mandate for vaccines. The city is trying to stop a second outbreak from a subvariant.
Li Ang, the deputy director at Beijing Municipal Health Commission told reporters Wednesday that there will be live performances and entertainment venues like movie theaters and museums. There will also need to be training and tutoring areas to prevent people from entering without being vaccinated.
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Medical staff and people who work in community services operations, home furnishing operator, express delivery provider, conference attendees, as well, will be subject to the requirement. They’ll need to have received a booster shot to continue as normal, Li said. There will be exemptions for people who don’t qualify for vaccination.
The mandate has been implemented in many countries around the globe by officials as they rush to eradicate virus transmission. Officials are eager to improve vaccination rates, particularly for older people (60+), whose hesitation around immunization is a major factor in China’s strict Covid Zero approach.
Learn more China’s Zero-COVID Policy Is Causing An Economic Crisis
Anyone who plans to go to an entertainment venue or elderly people in care homes should get their vaccines as quickly as possible. Li stated that visitors and staff at care homes should be vaccinated as well as tourists. The city’s health code—the system that controls people’s movements—will be updated to show vaccination status more prominently, he said.
It will be required that all people enter public spaces at least once every three working days.
Beijing’s elderly vaccination rate is above 80%, while Shanghai lags behind at 70%. Nearly 90% of the country’s total 1.4 billion population are fully vaccinated with homegrown shots.
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