China is easing some of the world’s most stringent anti-virus controls and authorities say new variants are weaker. But they have yet to say when they might end a “zero-COVID” strategy that confines millions of people to their homes and set off protests and demands for President Xi Jinping to resign. On Monday, commuters in Beijing and at least 16 other cities were allowed to board buses and subways without a virus test in the previous 48 hours for the first time in months. Industrial centers including Guangzhou near Hong Kong have reopened markets and businesses and lifted most curbs on movement while keeping restrictions on neighborhoods with infections. The government announced plans last week to vaccinate millions of people in their 70s and 80s, a condition for ending “zero-COVID” restrictions that keep most visitors out of China and have disrupted manufacturing and global trade. That spurred hopes for a quick end to “zero COVID.” But health experts and economists warn it will be mid-2023 and possibly 2024 before vaccination rates are high enough and hospitals are prepared to handle a possible rash of infections. “China is not ready for a fast reopening yet,” Morgan Stanley economists said in a report Monday. “We expect lingering containment measures. … Restrictions could still tighten dynamically in lower-tier cities should hospitalizations surge.” The changes follow protests demanding an end to “zero COVID” but are in line with Communist Party promises earlier to reduce disruption by easing quarantine and other restrictions. The changes have been highly publicized in a possible effort to mollify public anger, but there is no indication whether any might have been made in response to protests in Shanghai and other cities. China is the only major country still trying to stamp out transmission while the United States and others relax restrictions and try to live with the virus that has killed at least 6.6 million people and infected almost 650 million. The protests began Nov. 25 after at least 10 people died in a fire in an apartment building in Urumqi in the northwest. Authorities denied suggestions firefighters or victims were blocked by locked doors or other anti-virus controls. But the disaster became a focus for public frustration. Read: China reports 2 new COVID deaths as some restrictions eased Ahead of the protests, the Communist Party promised to make “zero COVID” less costly and disruptive but said it was sticking to the overall containment strategy. The party earlier announced updates to the strategy to make it more focused. Authorities began suspending access to buildings or neighborhoods with an infection instead of whole cities. But a spike in cases starting in October prompted areas across China to close schools and confine families to cramped apartments for weeks at a time. Authorities say they are “further optimizing” controls and warn the country needs to stay alert. China faces “new situations and tasks” due to the “weakening of the pathogenicity” of the latest omicron variant, a deputy premier in charge of the anti-virus campaign, Sun Chunlan, said last week. She said China has “effective diagnosis and treatment” and has vaccinated more than 90% of its people. The ruling party is trying to balance “epidemic prevention, economic stability and security for development,” Sun said Wednesday in a conference with health officials, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Despite the changes, Beijing and other cities are telling some residents to stay home or enforcing other restrictions on neighborhoods with infections. Travelers at the Chinese capital’s train stations and three airports are required to show a negative virus test within the previous 48 hours. Elsewhere, Guangzhou and other cities said areas deemed at high-risk for infection still face additional curbs. A negative virus test within the past 72 hours still is required to enter public buildings in vast metropolis of Chongqing in the southwest, a hotspot in the latest infection spike. Dining in restaurants in some parts of Beijing still is prohibited. A newspaper reported last week that some Beijing residents who have mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 cases would be allowed for the first time to isolate themselves at home instead of going to one of China’s sprawling quarantine centers. The government has yet to confirm that. Forecasters say the struggling economy, already under pressure from weak demand for Chinese exports and a government crackdown on debt in the real estate industry, might be contracting this quarter. Regulators have responded by freeing up more money for lending and are trying to encourage private investment in infrastructure projects. They have eased some financial controls on real estate developers to reverse a slump in one of China’s biggest industries. Read: China security forces are well-prepared for quashing dissent “Policymakers are focusing their efforts on spurring growth,” Eurasia Group analysts said in a report. “However, even if China’s transition away from a strict zero-COVID policy is more decisive and accelerated, meeting public health milestones like increasing elderly vaccination will take months.” On Monday, the government reported 30,014 new cases, including 25,696 without symptoms. That was down from last week’s daily peak above 40,000 but still close to record daily highs for China. Xi’s government has held up “zero COVID” as proof of the superiority of China’s system compared with the United States and Western countries. China’s official death toll stands at 5,235 since the start of the pandemic versus a U.S. count of 1.1 million. China also has suffered a possible rise in fatalities among people with cancer, heart disease and other conditions who struggled to get care while hospitals focused on treating virus cases. Data on those deaths haven’t been reported.

Travel sector revenues decreased by about Tk 26.75 crore in 2021 through Benapole Land Port as the Omicron surge had reduced passenger traffic between Bangladesh and India. In 2021, only 1,63,974 went to India  through Benapole whereas 6,99,107 people traveled to India in 2020. As a result, the passenger traffic on this route has decreased by 5,35, 133 passengers in 2021 as compared to 2020. About 18 to 20 lakh passengers travel to India every year on medical, business, education and travel visas through Benapole International Checkpost due to the ease of communication. READ: Benapole customs report growth in revenue despite pandemic Md Raju, officer-in-charge of Benapole Immigration, said 8,000 to 10,000 passengers used to travel through this route every day before the pandemic. Currently, passenger traffic has been reduced due to restrictions. The Covid Negative Certificate through the RT-PCR test within 72 hours is needed for returning to and from India. The government earns about Tk 6,000 crore from the trade sector while the government's revenue from the travel sector is about Tk 100 crore. On March 13, 2020, India imposed restrictions on travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic and suspended trade through land ports on March 26. However, it allowed domestic flights from May, 2020, and the entry of foreigners except tourists from October. Later, when the situation became somewhat normal, after four months, the ban on trade through Benapole port was lifted and trade gradually became normal. But, travel on tourist visas is still closed. Ayub Hossain, a passenger returning to India, said, "We cannot rely on medical services. Most physicians cannot diagnose the disease." If the medical system improves in the country, they would not have to go to India risking their lives during the covid pandemic. As a result, the country's money would remain in the country, he said. Passengers coming from India on business visas said that they are applying for visas by road but they are getting visas by air at present. Again, those who have road visas before are also being barred from traveling by Indian immigration on various pretexts. "Although it is very urgent, I cannot go to India as I need," the passenger added. Benapole Immigration's Health Department Monitoring Officer Dr Mejbaul Hasan said the India returnees were being tested for rapid antigen to prevent covid infection. READ: Export-Import through Benapole land port suspended In the last two months, after testing the samples of 140 people, nine people have tested positive. The infected were tested positive in India. The covid patients were kept in the red zone of Corona Unit of Jashore Sadar Hospital, the officer added. Abdul Jalil, deputy director (Traffic) of Benapole Port, said the import-export between the two countries is slowly getting stable amid this pandemic. However, due to the ban on travel, passenger traffic has decreased.

Facing growing pressure to ease up on pandemic restrictions, the White House insisted Wednesday it is making plans for a less-disruptive phase of the national virus response. But impatient states, including Democratic New York, made clear they aren’t waiting for Washington as public frustration grows. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that New York will end its COVID-19 mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings — but will keep it for schools. Illinois announced the same. Earlier this week, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware all disclosed plans to join states that have lifted or never had mask requirements for their schools, and Massachusetts will follow suit at the end of the month. All but Massachusetts have governors who are Democrats, like President Joe Biden. Biden, who has long promised to follow to “follow the science” in confronting the pandemic, is hemmed in, waiting for fresh guidance from federal health officials, who so far still recommend that nearly all Americans wear masks in most indoor settings. Defending Biden, press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that while people are tired of masks and “we understand where the emotions of the country are,” the administration is following the advice of medical experts who rely on scientific evidence. “That doesn’t move at the speed of politics; it moves at the speed of data,” she said. READ: Biden threatens: No gas pipeline if Russia invades Ukraine Clearly feeling the pressure, the White House for the first time acknowledged movement in its planning, saying conversations have been under way privately to develop plans for guiding the country away from the emergency phase of the pandemic. Federal COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said officials are consulting with state and local leaders and public health officials on potential next steps. But as governors and local officials press for clearer federal guidelines for easing or ending restrictions, states, cities and school boards are adopting an awkward patchwork of policies that differ widely from one place to the next. “We are working on that guidance,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a White House teleconference Wednesday. “As we’ve been encouraged by the current trends, we are not there yet.” The White House offered no timetable for the review or an indication of what it will recommend. And some critics say that’s not good enough. “The tragic thing is that these are governors that would probably have followed the White House’s guidance,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a former Baltimore health commissioner. “They wanted CDC input and asked for it, but without a clear timeline, at some point they had to decide that they couldn’t wait any more. The fault is not theirs, but the CDC’s and by extension, President Biden’s, which, with each passing day, is making itself less and less relevant.” Asked whether Biden appears to be out of touch with the country, Psaki defended his caution. “As a federal government we have the responsibility to rely on data on science, on the medical experts,” she said. Pressed on whether Americans should follow less-restrictive state or local rules or the stricter federal guidance, she repeated the White House’s daily counsel: “We would advise any American to follow the CDC guidelines.” New York’s Hochul and others aren’t waiting. They are ending or easing many broad mandates, though her state will keep masking rules in schools and health facilities. “Given the declining cases, given the declining hospitalizations, that is why we feel comfortable to lift this, in effect tomorrow,” Hochul said Wednesday. READ: Top Biden aide says Ukraine invasion could come ‘any day’ Even allies of the administration have argued that Biden should at least lay out a roadmap for moving back toward normalcy. He has been hesitant, aides say, in part because of the sting of his fleeting “declaration of independence” from the virus last summer, which proved premature in the face of the delta and then omicron strains. Now, though, cases and hospitalizations from COVID-19 have dropped markedly since they peaked earlier this year amid the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant, and the vast majority of Americans are protected against the virus by effective vaccines and boosters. Still, more than 2,000 people infected with the virus die in the U.S. each day, and there is concern within the administration about letting up while deaths remain high. And Psaki noted that many Americans support continued mask-wearing. Some in the White House point to the consternation that was voiced in December after the CDC shortened the isolation time for Americans who test positive. While Biden and other administration officials emphasize that the threat from the virus is far diminished from a year ago, before the wide roll-out of vaccines and booster shots and the approval of rapid at-home tests and highly effective therapeutics, administration officials acknowledge that most federal guidelines have been slow to keep up. The CDC continues to recommend indoor mask wearing in places of “substantial or high transmission” of the virus, which as of Wednesday was all of the U.S. but 14 rural counties. State and local leaders, nevertheless, have announced plans to ease virus restrictions in the coming weeks as omicron cases fall, citing the protections offered by vaccines as well as the increased availability of at-home testing kits and therapeutics for those who do catch the virus. Many of the restrictions eased last year, only to be reinstated as omicron swept the country. After more than a year of a top-down federally driven response, the emerging shift marks a return to the historical norm, where states have typically had the first say in how they handle public health emergencies. The CDC can advise them and issue general guidance for the nation, but in most situations it cannot order them what to do. While the Biden administration has pushed back strongly against efforts by GOP governors to prohibit mask-wearing requirements, it is indicating that it will take a more flexible approach to jurisdictions that make their own choices. Policies lifting mask requirements “are going to have to be made at the local level” depending on case rates, Walensky said. Despite the encouraging reports in the Americas, Western Europe and some other regions, the head of the World Health Organization insisted Wednesday that “COVID isn’t finished with us.” As his agency reported that new infections fell but virus deaths rose worldwide over the past week, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus launched a new $23 billion campaign to fund WHO’s efforts to lead a broad rollout of COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines around the world.

Denmark took the European Union lead Tuesday by scrapping most pandemic restrictions as the Scandinavian country no longer considers COVID-19 “a socially critical disease.” European nations elsewhere had a patchwork of different approaches, with some relaxing virus measures while others tightened them. Officials say the reason for the Danish move is that while the omicron variant is surging in the country, it’s not placing a heavy burden on the health system and Denmark has a high vaccination rate. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Danish radio it’s too early to know if virus restrictions ever have to make a comeback. “I dare not say that it is a final goodbye to restrictions,” she said. “We do not know what will happen in the fall, whether there will be a new variant.” Denmark, a nation of 5.8 million, has in recent weeks seen more than 50,000 new cases a day but the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital intensive care units has dropped. Some other nations were moving in the same direction as Denmark. Last week, England lifted almost all domestic restrictions: masks are not mandatory anywhere, vaccine passes are not required for any venue and people are no longer advised to work from home. The only legal requirement is to self-isolate after a positive COVID test. READ: US easing virus restrictions for foreign flights to America Ireland has dropped most of its restrictions and the Netherlands also has been easing its lockdown, although Dutch bars and restaurants still have to close at 10 p.m. France — which is still reporting the continent’s highest daily positive cases — plans on lifting some restrictions Wednesday, notably outdoor mask rules in Paris, a part-time work-from-home order and limits on crowd sizes. But face masks are still required indoor in many public places, nightclubs are closed and no eating or drinking is allowed in cinemas, stadiums or public transport. Finland will end its COVID-19 restrictions this month. On Monday, border controls between Finland and the other Schengen countries that form Europe’s ID check-free travel area, ended. Travelers coming from outside the EU will continue to face border controls at least until Feb. 14. In Serbia, there are hardly any controls, so the few rules in place — mandatory face masks in closed spaces, passes for bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the evening and only 500 people at events — don’t mean much. Nightclubs have been open all along. Italy, however, has been gradually tightening its health pass requirements during the omicron surge. As of Monday, Italy requires at least a negative test within the previous 48 hours to enter banks and post offices, and anyone over 50 who has not been vaccinated risks a one-time 100-euro ($112) fine. Austria has imposed a vaccine mandate that takes effect this month and Greece has ordered fines for people 60 and over who refuse to get vaccinated. Germany politicians, meanwhile, have opened a debate on whether to impose a national vaccination mandate. The head of the Danish Health Authority, Søren Brostrøm, told Danish broadcaster TV2 that his attention was on the number of people in ICUs rather than on the number of infections. He said that number had “fallen and fallen and is incredibly low.” The most visible restriction disappearing is the wearing of face masks, which are no longer mandatory on public transportation and shops. Authorities only recommend mask use in hospitals, health care facilities and nursing homes. Another restriction that no longer is required is the digital pass to enter nightclubs or eat indoors in restaurants. Stefano Tandmark, a Copenhagen waiter, said bars and eateries can stay open now till 5 a.m. “We can dance and yeah, just be yourself again and don’t worry about if corona is gone or where it is at the moment.” Still, many Danes took a cautious approach Monday, wearing face masks on public transport and in shops. Some noted that the omicron variant had led to staff shortages. “There’s a lot of our employees who are sick without the restrictions being lifted, and it’s going to be even worse now,” said Ulla Vestergaard, 59-year-old social care worker. Health authorities urged Danes to get tested regularly so the country can react quickly if necessary but also praised citizens for embracing vaccines. ″ A lot of people (in Denmark) have received two vaccination shots and a lot have received three doses as well, and many of those doses were provided in the fourth quarter of 2021,” Jens Lundgren, a professor of viral diseases at Copenhagen University Hospital told The Associated Press. More than 60% of Denmark’s population over age 12 have gotten a third vaccine shot.

Amid the growing concern over the Coronavirus’ new Omicron variant, the government has imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operating public transport at their half capacities. The Cabinet Division issued the notification on Monday which will take effect on January 13 and will remain in force until further notice. In an effort to slow the virus transmission, the government took the decision after observing the outbreak of Omicron variant of Coronavirus and the overall Covid situation in the country. The restrictions include: •       All kinds of public gatherings, including social programmes, political and religious events will remain suspended until further notice. •       People have to wear masks everywhere, including shops, shopping malls, markets, hotels and restaurants. Otherwise, s/he will face legal action. •       The mask use should be ensured in all places, including offices and courts, and mobile court drives will be conducted to prevent the violation of health guidelines. •       People should show their Covid-19 vaccination certificates while taking food in restaurants and staying in residential hotels. •       Students above 12 would not be allowed at the educational institutions without having Covid-19 vaccination certificate after a designated date to be fixed by the Education Ministry. READ: Covid cases in Bangladesh mark a sharp rise by 115% in one week: DGHS •       Increasing the number of screening at all ports, including land-ports, airports and maritime ports. The crewmembers of ships should not be allowed to go outside while arriving at a port while only truck drivers are allowed to enter land ports with trucks. Besides, visitors along with foreign-bound passengers should not be allowed to enter airports. •       Public transport, including buses, trains and launches can operate at half of their capacities while drivers and helpers of all modes of vehicles should have Covid-19 vaccination certificates.

Bangladesh's civil aviation regulator has imposed restrictions on international passenger flights from 11 countries as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries across the world. Malaysia, Iran, Spain, Argentina, Botswana, Cuba, Cyprus, Eswatini, Georgia, Libya and Mongolia are the 11 countries under Group- A, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has said. However, Bangladeshi citizens from these countries who have completed a full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before 14 days of the travel date can enter Bangladesh. Read:Two Biman chartered flights take off with stuck students, expat workers Upon arrival, they will have to undergo a mandatory 14-days home quarantine. However, if any Covid-19 symptoms are detected on arrival, they will be sent to government-authorised hospitals for further checkup and depending on the intensity of the symptoms, will be sent for isolation at government-nominated facilities at the passenger's own expense. Besides, passengers from these 11 countries who are not vaccinated or have not completed full doses of the vaccine, will not be allowed to enter Bangladesh. Read: Domestic flights to resume from Aug 6 amid relaxed lockdown However, Bangladeshi expatriates residing in these 11 countries and Bangladeshi nationals who visited there during the last 15 days, are allowed to come to Bangladesh provided that they have the special approval or authorisation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. According to the CAAB circular, Bangladeshi seafarers or marine engineers who have signed off from ship from this group of 11 within the previous 15 days of travel to Bangladesh, can return provided they possess proper evidence about their profession and signing-off. Upon arrival in the country, in both the cases above, they will have to complete a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine at government-nominated hotels at their own expense. Read: Domestic flights to carry intl passengers to port of departure during lockdown All incoming and outgoing passengers, except children below 10 years, must possess an RT-PCR negative certificate. The PCR test should be done within 72 hours of the flight departure time. International passenger flights will continue as per their approved time slots under the summer-2021 schedule. However, air bubble flights will remain suspended until further notice.

Maintaining health guidelines, taking vaccine shots and wearing masks are now the only means to prevent the Covid-19 spread in Bangladesh as all the restrictions have been lifted fully, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday. The minister said this while attending a seminar on the 46th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Mourning Day in the city. The restrictions imposed for containing the transmission have been lifted in order to save people’s lives and livelihoods, said minister Maleque. Also read: 54 lakh more vaccine doses to arrive by Aug 15: Minister

All remaining lockdown restrictions in England will be lifted in a week despite a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday. He said it was “the right moment to proceed” as schools close for summer vacation but urged people to “proceed with caution.” Johnson said although risks of the pandemic remain, legal restrictions will be replaced by a recommendation that people wear masks in crowded places and on public transport. Nightclubs and other venues with crowds should use vaccine passports for entry “as a matter of social responsibility,” he added. “This pandemic is not over. This disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family. We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday July 19 to life as it was before COVID,” Johnson said. The final stage of easing England’s lockdown means that all restrictions on social gatherings will be removed and social distancing measures will be scrapped. Nightclubs can reopen for the first time since March last year, and there will no longer be limits on people attending concerts, theaters, weddings or sports events. READ: Mumbai imposes strict virus restrictions as infections surge Earlier, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it was the right time to allow Britons a chance to return to normal life. The government’s decision balances the harms brought by COVID-19 and damage done by continued restrictions, he said. Javid told Parliament that Britain’s successful vaccine rollout means that nine out of 10 adults in the U.K. now have antibodies against the virus. The government is on track to meet its target of offering all adults a first vaccine dose by July 19, the day when all remaining lockdown restrictions, including mandatory mask-wearing, are to be lifted. As of Monday, 87% of the U.K.’s adult population have had their first dose, and 66% have had both doses. At the same time infections have soared in recent weeks, running at over 30,000 new cases daily, driven by the delta variant. Javid said while new infections could reach 100,000 a day later in the summer, two doses of the vaccine offer effective protection against serious illness from the virus and officials believe the surge in cases will not put “unsustainable pressure” on hospitals. READ: France to announce new virus restrictions in Paris region Waiting any longer to lift restrictions will risk having the virus spread peak in the autumn and winter, when children return to school and hospitals are most likely to be overwhelmed by seasonal infections, Javid and Johnson said. “There will never be a perfect time to take this step, because we simply cannot eradicate this virus — whether we like it or not, coronavirus is not going away,” Javid said. Many of the infections have occurred among younger people who have yet to receive a first dose of vaccine. The government has no plans yet to offer vaccines to children under 18. The British government believes that the vaccine rollout has mostly severed the link between infections and those needing hospitalization. The numbers of people requiring hospitalization or dying from COVID-19 have stayed low and broadly stable, though they have been edging up in recent days. Still, concerns over the rapid increase in cases has piled pressure on the government to take a more cautious approach over lifting restrictions. Jonathan Ashworth, the health spokesperson for the opposition Labour Party, said Javid’s plan was akin to “pushing his foot down on the accelerator while throwing the seat belts off.” And Stephen Griffin, associate professor at Leeds University’s school of medicine, called the move an irresponsible gamble. “I am dumbfounded by the notion that public health can be left to individual choice when, in the case of infectious disease it is, in fact, the epitome of collective responsibility,” Griffin said. “Government messaging on restrictions currently amounts to an outright oxymoron by urging caution whilst simultaneously allowing all guidance to be lifted.” Peter Openshaw, a member of a group that advises the government on new and emerging respiratory viruses, said it was vital to keep some protective measures in place, such as wearing masks. “I really don’t see why people are reluctant to wear face coverings, it is quite clear that they do greatly reduce transmission,” he told BBC radio. “Vaccines are fantastic but you have to give them time to work.” READ: Europe adopts tougher virus restrictions as infections surge The British government, which enforced one of the longest lockdowns in the world, has lifted restrictions for England in a series of steps that began with reopening schools in March. The fourth and final stage was delayed last month to provide time for more people to be vaccinated amid the rapid spread of the delta variant. Other parts of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — are following their own, broadly similar, road maps out of lockdown.

The ongoing ‘strict lockdown’ may be eased from July 15 to July 22, said a handout of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. The handout said the Cabinet division will issue a notification in this regard. However, the strict lockdown may be reinforced from July 23, it added. A record rise in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to go for the lockdown. Also read: Train services to be on from July 15-22: Minister The nationwide strict lockdown, first imposed for a week until July 7 midnight, has now been extended for another week until July 14 midnight as the Covid infection rate keeps surging across the country. Also read: 604 people held in city during lockdown

The government on Monday extended the ongoing ‘stringent’ lockdown restrictions by another week to break the chain of transmission of Covid-19 amid the Delta variant wreaking havoc in the country. The restrictions will continue until the midnight of 14 July, unless extended again. Read:Lockdown: Police arrest 621 for violations on Dhaka streets The cabinet division has issued a notification in this regard. The extension was expected, as any Covid-19 policy, in order to be later evaluated for success or otherwise, must be in place for at least two weeks. The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 pandemic on Sunday recommended extending the lockdown for at least one week. Read:Banks to remain closed on Sunday during lockdown The government enforced the all-out lockdown from July 1. Earlier, the country entered lockdown ‘on a limited scale’ from June 28. Army personnel are currently patrolling the streets of the country alongside BGB, police and Rab troops. Read:Lockdown: Third day sees more people, vehicles on roads, 184 detained Mobile courts were also seen active all over the country during the all-out lockdown. Hundreds of people are being fined and held every day throughout the country for violating lockdown measures, which is likely to continue in the coming days.