Chinese vaccine plans spark hope for end of ‘zero COVID’

By JOE McDONALD
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — A campaign to vaccinate older Chinese has sparked hopes Beijing might roll back severe anti-virus controls that prompted angry protesters to demand President Xi Jinping resign. But the country faces daunting hurdles before “zero COVID” can end. Global stock markets rose after Beijing announced the long-awaited campaign Tuesday. A low vaccination rate is one of the biggest obstacles to ending curbs that confine millions of people to their homes. Health experts and economists warn a vaccination effort will take months. They say China also must build up its hospitals and work out a long-term virus strategy, so “zero COVID” is likely to stay in place until mid-2023 and possibly as late as 2024.