COVID-19 cases have surged in China since stringent restrictions were lifted earlier this month and, given the country's financial might, there are concerns about the possible impact on the global economy.
China began dismantling its zero-COVID policy of lockdowns and testing after people protested against the curbs which kept the virus at bay among its 1.4 billion-strong population — at a big cost to its economy, the world's second largest.
International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Tuesday that the loosening of controls would also "create some difficulties over the next months".
