Interesting article imo, especially at the end

Facing conflicted implementation among jurisdictions, Beijing sent additional signals to clarify the confusion. On December 7, the State Council released the “New Ten Points,” new guidelines for China’s COVID-19 policy. The central government’s original intention was to return to the “precision COVID containment” model of late 2020 and 2021 rather than ending the zero COVID policy altogether. The New Ten Points aimed to crack down on extreme lockdowns, which had sparked the massive anti-zero COVID protests across China, by highlighting “scientific” and “precise” implementation. The State Council spokesperson declared that the policy shift does not mean China will “completely open up”; instead, the policy would change incrementally by “taking small steps.”

However, local officials did not implement the New Ten Points and opted to open up completely. The New Ten Points required local officials to draw high-risk areas based on buildings and households, but local officials stopped drawing high-risk areas altogether. It also required home quarantine for COVID-19 patients; however, local governments did not enforce this rule. As a result, people who tested positive can still travel to public places. Some local governments even required officials to work despite testing positive and suffering fevers and other symptoms.