they seem to have left the square to clear nearby streets
That sounds so strange, how do we expect them to clear entire streets if they can't even get past a single guy armed with grocery bags?
The way China operates is completely the opposite of the way the US operates. Here is a video on Yanis Varoufakis explaining how.
Eh... as someone living in western Europe, I can't say it's free. I would say that it's subsidized at most. We still have to pay a part of our healthcare, we can get a private health insurance to complete the government coverage, but it's still not enough to cover all of it.
Mental health isn't covered at all, ophtalmology barely (still gotta pay 200€ for a pair of glasses, after public + private coverage), dental only the very basic is covered...
DIY Hannibal directive