China scraps major Covid tracking app as virus rules ease

China will drop a travel tracing requirement as part of an uncertain exit from its strict “zero-COVID” policies that have elicited widespread dissatisfaction.

At midnight on Monday, the smart phone app will cease to function, meaning residents' travels will not be traced and recorded, potentially reducing the likelihood they will be forced into quarantine for visiting pandemic hot spots.

China's ruling Communist Party allows no independent parties to conduct verification and such apps have been used in past to suppress travel and free speech. It's part of a package of apps that includes the health code, which has yet to be disabled.

The move follows the government's snap announcement last week that it was ending many of. While met with relief, the relaxation has also sparked concerns about a new wave of infections potentially overwhelming health care resources in some areas.

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