China is softening its tone on the severity of COVID-19 and has begun easing some coronavirus restrictions even as its daily case toll hovers near record highs after anger over the world’s toughest curbs fuelled protests across the country.
Health authorities announcing the relaxation of measures did not mention the protests, which ranged from candle-lit vigils in Beijing to clashes with the police on the streets of Guangzhou and at an iPhone factory in Zhengzhou last week.
The demonstrations marked the biggest show of civil disobedience in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power a decade ago as the economy is set to enter a new era of much slower growth than seen in decades.
Vice Premier, Sun Chunlan, who oversees COVID efforts, says the ability of the virus to cause disease was weakening.