In rare comments made by the U.N agency about a government’s treatment of the virus, the head of China’s World Health Organization stated Tuesday that China’s Zero-Tolerance Covid-19 policy was not sustainable.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that “it is not sustainable given the behavior of this virus.” He spoke to a press conference.

After Tedros, WHO emergency director Mike Ryan stated that the effects of any Covid policies on human rights must be considered as well as the economic impact on countries.

He also noted that China has registered 15,000 deaths since the virus first emerged in the city of Wuhan in late 2019 — a relatively low number compared with 999,475 in the United States and more than 500,000 in India. 

Ryan stated that Ryan understood why one of the most populous nations in the world would seek to reduce coronavirus contagion.

China’s zero Covid policies have been criticized by scientists as well as citizens. It has resulted in a vicious cycle of anguish, anger, and lockdowns for many millions.

The difficulty of stopping the transmission of the transmissible variant of omicron is also evident from the constant outbreaks. 

Zero-Covid allows authorities to lock down large populations to prevent viral spread. This is even in cases where only a few people are positive.

Shanghai has strict regulations. Residents are only allowed to leave their compounds for medical emergencies or exceptional circumstances. Some residents are prohibited from interacting with their neighbors outside of their homes.

Critics also criticized the quarantine policy for isolating children from their parents, and placing asymptomatic people among those who have symptoms.