(Yicai Global) Nov. 15 -- Shijiazhuang, in China’s northern Hebei province, has become the first provincial capital to close polymerase chain reaction test stations and relax Covid-19 testing requirements.

Except for workers in key activities such as hotels and tourist attractions, residents in Shijiazhuang will not be required to show a valid negative PCR test when entering public places, according to a local government official. Until Nov. 13, all residents were expected to take a PCR test within 72 hours.

Low-risk communities no longer ask residents to show a 72-hour negative PCR test before entering, and nearby roadside testing stations have closed, Yicai Global found. Downtown malls, mass public transport, and taxis only require a green QR health code, while supermarkets also check shoppers’ temperatures.

China launched its health code system in 2020. It collects information about individuals’ travel and health status to facilitate Covid-19 prevention and control work. The code can be green, yellow, or red.

Pandemic prevention measures are not laissez-faire, Zhang Chaochao, secretary of the Shijiazhuang municipal party committee, said yesterday. The city will not lift all restrictions, as the adjustments will improve the scientific work and accuracy of epidemic prevention and control, he added.

Residents who need to take PCR tests can do so in hospitals. Individual tests cost CNY16 (USD2.26), while group screening costs CNY3.4 (48 US cents).

Expect for high-risk areas, Shijiazhuang maintains standard prevention and control measures and will make every effort to promote normal life and production, the city government said in an open letter on Nov. 12.

The protection of vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, and patients with underlying health conditions, will be enhanced, the authority added, noting that it will ensure residents’ basic needs for medical treatment, heating, and class attendance.

On Nov. 13, the city reported three symptomatic Covid-19 cases and 541 asymptomatic cases, according to the Hebei Health Commission. The city’s permanent population was about 11.2 million at the end of last year.

Editor: Martin Kadiev