Will Regular Covid Testing Help or Hurt China’s Economy?

(Bloomberg) — As Chinese cities move toward regular mandatory free Covid-19 testing, economists are arguing about how much it will cost and whether it will help or hurt the economy.

The approach would cost the government 1.8% of gross domestic product if it’s rolled out to more places, according to an estimate from Nomura Holdings Inc. That would also amount to a huge drag on growth, Nomura economists found.