What’s new: Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said the country’s battle against Covid-19 “is facing new circumstances that come with new tasks” as the omicron variant becomes less pathogenic, more people get vaccinated and experience is gained in controlling the virus, according to state media.
Sun made the remarks at a meeting with the National Health Commission (NHC) Wednesday, where she listened to experts’ opinions on how to improve epidemic control measures, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
The top official overseeing the country’s battle against Covid emphasized a human-centered approach and the need to do a good job in both controlling the pandemic and stabilizing the economy.
She also urged for more efforts to optimize the country’s virus response by improving diagnosis, treatment and quarantine measures, strengthening immunization of the whole population, particularly the elderly, and preparing more medical resources, according to the Xinhua report.
The background: Sun’s remarks came as the country battles its latest wave of outbreaks, and public discontent grows over lockdowns and other strict curbs under the country’s “zero-Covid” policy. Several cities, including Guangzhou, Beijing and Chongqing, have recently eased testing and other rules after the central government issued optimized Covid guidelines.
During a press conference Tuesday, NHC spokesperson Mi Feng said the commission has been studying and constantly adjusting anti-epidemic measures to maximize the protection of people and minimize their impact on economic and social development.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Bertrand Teo (bertrandteo@caixin.com)
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