President Xi Jinping has raised concerns about the covid situation in the Chinese countryside, as per the state media reports. The concerns are raised in the wake of upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations as millions of people are marching towards their rural home towns.
The Chinese leader also defended his zero-Covid policy — lifted last month after crippling the economy and sparking nationwide protests — saying it had been “the right choice”. “Xi said he was primarily concerned about rural areas and rural residents after the country adjusted its Covid-19 response measures. He stressed efforts to improve medical care for those most vulnerable to the virus in rural areas,” state news agency Xinhua reported.
As per the transport authority predictions, more than two billion trips will be made during a 40-day period between January and February which is nearly double the last year’s number and 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Xi while defending his tough “zero-covid policy” said that the strategy was the right choice and had allowed the country to fight several rounds of outbreaks of virus mutations.