Britons in China reveal Covid sufferers can ‘just walk out’ of quarantine as cases surge

Residents in China describe pandemic restrictions disappearing almost overnight prompting both relief and fear over surging cases

Some estimate that China is seeing up to 9,000 deaths a day due to Covid (AP)

Expats living in China say they have been startled by the speed with which pandemic restrictions have been lifted and that some remaining rules are not being enforced despite cases surging.

Britons described a mix of relief that restrictions had been lifted and worries about the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, just as the UK finally tightened restrictions on arrivals from the country on Friday.

William, a Shanghai-based English teacher who asked to be referred to only by his first name, managed to fly into China despite having tested positive for coronavirus just days before while spending Christmas in the UK.