China to De-Criminalize Violations of Covid Containment Rules

What’s new: China has told courts and law enforcement agencies to stop handing down criminal convictions to people who violate quarantine and other pandemic containment rules, in a further softening of the government’s stance after it abruptly ditched the “zero-Covid” policy.

Violations of domestic Covid prevention and containment rules and border health checks will no longer be charged as crimes starting Jan. 8, according to a Saturday statement issued jointly by five state organs including the Supreme People’s Court and the Ministry of Public Security.