An expert warned of tens of thousands of new coronavirus cases on Sunday, as outrage over China's earlier COVID regulations gave way to apprehension regarding infection control.

China repealed most of its strict COVID regulations on Wednesday, following unprecedented protests against them last month. However, cities that were already battling with the most severe COVID outbreaks, such as Beijing, experienced a sharp decline in economic activity after rules such as regular testing were eliminated.

According to anecdotal evidence, several firms have been forced to close as ill employees quarantine at home and many others decide not to leave their homes due to the increased risk of infection.

Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese epidemiologist, told state media that the Omicron strain of the virus widespread in China was highly contagious, with one sick individual capable of infecting up to 18 others.

Zhong stated, "We can observe that hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of people are sick in a number of large cities."

As a result of the elimination of routine COVID testing of Beijing residents and its restriction to groups such as health workers, the official number of new cases has decreased.

Saturday, health officials recorded 1,661 new illnesses in Beijing, a 42% decrease from the 3,977 reported on December 6, a day before national rules were substantially relaxed.

However, data suggests that there are many more cases in the roughly 22 million-person city where everyone seems to know someone who has COVID.

"In my company, the number of employees who are COVID-negative is close to zero," said Nancy, an employee of a Beijing-based tourist and events company who requested anonymity.

"We recognize that this cannot be prevented; thus, everyone will be required to work from home," she stated.

'Higher risk'

Sunday is a common business day for retailers in Beijing and it is frequently lively, particularly in locations like the ancient Shichahai neighborhood packed with boutiques and cafes.

Chaoyang, the most populous district in Beijing, was virtually empty on Sunday, with many hairdressers, restaurants, and stores closed.

Economists anticipate that China's path to economic health will be bumpy, as shocks such as labor shortages caused by absenteeism would postpone a full-fledged recovery for some time.

Mark Williams, the chief Asia economist at Capital Economics, said in a note, "The move out of zero-COVID will eventually allow consumer spending patterns to return to normal, but a higher risk of infection will keep in-person spending lower for months after reopening."

According to Capital Economics, China's GDP may rise 1.6% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, and 4.9% in the second.

In addition, epidemiologist Zhong predicted that normalcy would not be restored for several months.

After March, in the first half of next year, according to his estimation, he stated.

China has eliminated the majority of its domestic COVID restrictions, but its international borders remain mainly restricted to foreigners, even tourists.

Five days of quarantine are administered at centralized government facilities, followed by three days of self-monitoring at home.

However, there are suggestions that this rule may alter.

When questioned if quarantine regulations were being relaxed, staff at the primary international airport in Chengdu city stated that as of Saturday, the three-day home quarantine requirement would rely on a person's local authorities.