China Deactivates National COVID Tracking App

story
Image copyright: EPA [via the Guardian]

The Facts

  • Days after China began a scaleback of its long-running zero-COVID policy, on Monday, Beijing pulled the plug on its COVID tracking smartphone app that recorded people's travel movements during the pandemic.

  • The government-run "communications itinerary card," which used residents' mobile data to identify and quarantine residents who traveled to pandemic hot spots, was deactivated even as cases continued to surge across the country.

Show more

The Spin

Pro-China narrative

China is fine-tuning its COVID response based on the facts on the ground, and it hasn’t abandoned its effective policies to contain the virus. Saving lives and safeguarding public health, while at the same time ensuring economic growth, are the government's top priorities — regardless of what Western countries and their media pontificate.

People's Daily

Anti-China narrative

Decisions like ending the tracking app are part of a knee-jerk reaction by China to the rare protests over its zero-COVID policies and other criticisms. But China still faces many stiff challenges, including getting more people vaccinated before it can permanently loosen restrictions. COVID outbreaks and more dissension from the Chinese people will undoubtedly lead to tighter restrictions in the future — this is a volatile situation.

Bangkokpost

Articles on this story