As nations around the world around the planet scramble to impose journey bans to stem the distribute of the Omicron coronavirus variant, China continues to be outwardly calm — at the very least for now. 

Irrespective of two verified situations of the intensely mutated variant in Hong Kong, Chinese community well being gurus have expressed a self-assurance in the country’s existing border manage steps.

China’s response — or the deficiency thereof — is hardly shocking. The country’s border limitations are previously amongst the strictest in the earth, with most overseas readers, from travelers to pupils, banned from moving into mainland China.

Zhang Wenhong, an infectious disease professional in Shanghai and arguably China’s most trusted voice on Covid-19, said the new variant would have “no important effect on China at this time.”

And at a convention in Guangzhou above the weekend, Zhong Nanshan, a leading respiratory condition skilled and govt adviser, reported China has no options to choose any “significant action” in response to the Omicron variant.

In the meantime, in Chinese state media the prevailing mood is one particular of evident vindication. As a great deal of the environment started off to reopen and discover to reside with Covid, China dug its heels and looked significantly isolated by comparison. That isolation is now becoming extolled as a uniquely Chinese edge in the combat against the new variant. 

Examine the full assessment here.