China's COVID-19 Response Shift is Correct, NHC says

China's latest policy adjustment on COVID-19 response is appropriate, scientific and law-based, and suits the country's epidemic prevention and control realities, said Liang Wannian, head of the COVID-19 response expert panel under the National Health Commission.

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China will downgrade its management of COVID-19 from Jan. 8, 2023, treating it as a Class B infection, rather than a more serious Class A infection.

The shift in no way means letting go of the virus, but requires directing more resources to the most important epidemic control and case treatment tasks in a more scientific and accurate manner, Liang said.

Over the past nearly three years, China has based its COVID-19 response on three factors, namely the pathogenicity of the virus, the immunity level of the Chinese people and the defense capability of the national health system against the disease, as well as public health intervention, Liang said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office.

Faced with the pandemic, China has tried its best to strike a balance between these factors and kept improving its COVID-19 response measures, said the expert, adding that China's constantly evolving policy adjustments precisely embody such a balance.

Liang said China's epidemic prevention and control efforts will focus on protecting health and preventing severe cases following the downgrading of COVID-19 management.

However, the purpose of China's COVID-19 response will remain unchanged, which is to control the epidemic spread, protect people's lives and health to the greatest possible extent and coordinate epidemic prevention and control with social and economic development to the maximum, said Liang.