IETLS Essay: Change, Tue 28 Mar

Some people think the Chinese government should stick to their zero-covid policy. However, others believe abandoning the lockdown is the best choice.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

While many people are justifiably resistant to the idea of abandoning the zero-covid policy, others believe that without lockdown is fundamental for recovering from the economic recession and emotional depression of people in the last three years. In my opinion, the zero-covid policy is not a sustainable way to solve the problem and should not continue after omicron becomes the main global pandemic.

Those who argue in favour of non-change point out that their vulnerable family members are in a safe environment when the lockdown continues,
This is evident as children and seniors have weaker immune systems than young adults and are more susceptible to covid virus. The same fact applies when a person infects with the covid virus, which can lead to long-coivd, such as loss of smell sense, tiresome and fatigue. One further concern of this relates to the mortality rate. It will cause millions of deaths if China reopens, which referred to Hong Kong's mortality rate after it has reopened.

However, the lockdown is not a sustainable way to deal with covid virus. This fact is illustrated in China's economic growth. The GDP data of Shanghai released by the China Bureau of Statistics shows shanghai had gone through a significant plummet in the first half year of 2022 because the whole city was in a three-month lockdown. It is more likely that the economy would not have suffered a vast strike if the government had implemented a more irrational policy. Furthermore, the lockdown caused enormous secondary disasters. One hospital refused to aid a nurse with asthma because she didn't take a nuclei test in 48 hours. Also, ambulances take long hours to respond due to roadblocks. This is also the case when it comes to other cities. Residents living in a compound in Chengdu were forbidden to go downstairs during an earthquake. By abandoning the lockdown and replacing it with a more rational procedure, the economy has a better chance of reviving and secondary disasters will diminish.

In conclusion, even though abandoning the zero-covid policy can be a catalyst for excess death, sticking to endless nuclei tests and keeping people at home should not be regarded as a long-term solution to address the problem, especially after so many unnecessary tragedies. The government should seek a sustainable method like opening the lockdown gradually and discreetly but not consistently ignoring people's voices.