Mass lockdown, social distancing, N-95 masking requirements sound like the nightmare that was March 2020 around the world. Much of the world was completely locked in their house (by their own will or were required to). But, in some parts of America today, you cannot even tell that there is a pandemic occurring. Masking is seldom, there are no social distancing requirements, no one is in isolation. Despite our positive return to normal, people across the Pacific still have not woken up from this nightmare.
China has a “zero-Covid” policy. This means that their goal is to completely eradicate the disease that started in 2019. With a spike in COVID cases in March, the government in Shanghai and Beijing initiated a complete lockdown, meaning all residents were forced to stay within the confines of their homes, which are typically smaller apartments in these metropolitan areas. This means that in many cases they cannot even step outside for a walk around the block.
People both in China and out have been questioning this controversial policy. Many have even been questioning COVID restrictions at all. Across America, there are very little COVID restrictions. An Axios poll found that one in three Americans believe COVID is over. With approximately 110,000 cases a day in the United States, COVID is certainly not over. But, Americans treating COVID as a major threat is over. With the newer Omicron variant coupled with the widespread availability of boosters and people just being fed up of not living their B.C. (before COVID) lifestyle, attitude towards mitigation of this virus has changed.
The lockdowns that are occurring in China would occur in America mainly due to the thought that COVID is no longer a real threat. Many fear that the lockdowns that places like China are doing is creating a larger threat: deterioration of mental health. In China, the term “psychological counseling” has appeared in search queries 250 percent more than the previous month. The correlation between this search trend and the intense lockdowns must not be ignored.
As COVID progresses into the “endemic” phase–making it clear that it is not going away–government leaders around the world must begin to weigh the mental health impacts of COVID restrictions along with the physical health risks of the virus itself. Surely, it is a big task to approach, but one that must be done to ensure the wellbeing of many.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
CIMA Law Group Blog 