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What Next - The Spike at the End of “Zero COVID”

Slate Daily Feed

Slate

Business, News, Society & Culture

3.91.1K Ratings

🗓️ 23 November 2022

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the wake of mass protests and a depressing effect on its economy, China has ended its “zero COVID” policy. But with cases now rising, is the country ready for the upcoming Spring Festival, a huge holiday for travel that could spread the virus to its remotest corners? 


Guest: Dake Kang, reporter for the Associated Press Beijing bureau.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

20th century studios presents a haunting in Venice only in cinemas

0:05.4

Somebody that's been mad at a ghost killed her

0:08.3

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0:14.6

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0:21.6

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0:30.8

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1:00.0

When I think about China's zero-covid policy the rules that kept millions of people in lockdown

1:06.0

Sometimes for months at a time

1:08.0

I think about emptied out streets in Shanghai

1:11.4

I think of the PCR tests government officials required of every resident week after week

1:17.3

But Dave Kang from the Associated Press

1:20.0

He thinks about something else. I mean just to give you an idea of how crazy things were getting before zero-covid ended

1:27.7

I had quite a few friends and acquaintances who were

1:31.7

Having for all parties and going to Thailand because they were just like this is too much. I'm out

1:39.3

For date zero-covid was surprisingly effective until it wasn't

1:46.2

And then it became this opportunity for everyday people in China to rebel

1:50.8

Coming up with workarounds to avoid the apps that the government used to track them

1:55.9

You know at a certain point by the end I think people were just straight up resorting to using fake health codes or

2:02.5

recording the sound of

2:04.5

You know the the health code

...

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