Chart of the Day: The Potential Trillion-Yuan Cost of Regular Covid Testing

Many regions in China have rolled out programs to give residents regular nucleic acid tests, also known as PCR tests. Yet while such initiatives can help identify local outbreaks of Covid-19 in their early stages and prevent large-scale lockdowns, the financial costs could be significant.

Regular testing schemes are paid for by local governments and require residents to undertake PCR tests within mandated frequencies ranging from 48 hours to seven days. Timestamped negative test results are used as passes that allow people to move freely around their localities and those with outdated results may be barred from entering certain public places.