China is tweaking its tough COVID-zero approach to the pandemic, days after nationwide protests against the country’s use of unpopular and disruptive lockdowns and mass testing to control outbreaks.
On Wednesday, China Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who is leading the country’s pandemic response, indicated that the country is “facing a new situation and new tasks” in the fight against COVID. Sun pointed to the lower pathogenicity of the Omicron variant and more widespread vaccination as reasons why China’s COVID policy could be “optimized in small steps.”
