BEIJING – The Chinese capital’s subway has dropped mandatory mask requirements for travellers, local media reported on Sunday, days after a Chinese health expert said the threat of Covid-19 to humans is no longer at a serious level.
The move is in line with broader measures by China, which said recently that it was no longer mandatory to wear face masks when using public transport, according to state media.
“It’s as if an era has passed,” a user of China’s popular social e-commerce app Xiaohongshu said on the platform, as social media was abuzz with news of the rules being eased.
Staff at a Beijing subway station tore down signs reminding people to wear masks, Beijing Daily reported.
The pandemic is nearing its end, based on World Health Organisation data, said Dr Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, according to China Daily.
China, which dismantled its strict Covid-19 rules last December, said the latest official data indicated that the positivity rate went up slightly in early April, according to the Global Times.
However, respiratory specialists said it was unlikely that the country would experience another big wave of infections nationwide.
China has declared victory over Covid-19 several times, highlighting the government’s response and handling of the pandemic.
Some people on social media voiced concerns over the relaxation of mask rules, saying the virus remains a threat.
“Let’s hope there will not be a second wave of infections,” a user of China’s Twitter-like social media Weibo said on the site.
Masks are optional on public transport, in supermarkets, movie theatres and other indoor places with large numbers of people, Xinhua news reported.
Masks remain mandatory when a person has tested positive for Covid-19 or is displaying symptoms, during local outbreaks, and in medical institutions and nursing homes, the report said.
Chinese cities have been scrapping mask mandates for several weeks, including Hong Kong, which ended mask requirements on March 1. REUTERS
