China to further upgrade its virus control policy

China's COVID-19 prevention and control work is facing new situations and new tasks, with the weakening pathogenicity of Omicron, increasing uptake of vaccination and growing disease response experiences, Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan said on Wednesday.

During a meeting with top public health and medical experts in Beijing, she said China will "take small steps" to further upgrade its virus control policy and "keep moving", as well as continuing to improve its diagnostics, testing, treatment and quarantine measures.

She also stressed boosting mass immunization, especially among the elderly, accelerating preparations of drugs and medical resources, while ensuring a balance between disease control work and social and economic development.

Sun said that China has always put the safety and health of its people first during its three years' fight against the virus.

Over the course, China has released nine versions of disease prevention and control protocols and published a package of 20 modified measures, in accordance with the latest epidemic circumstances.

Its steady but agile action has effectively tackled uncertainties of the epidemic, she added.

During the meeting, eight senior experts made statements, namely Zhang Boli, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine expert; Shen Hongbing, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Wang Junzhi, a top expert on biological products and biochemical drugs; Liang Wannian, a member of the National Health Commission's disease response expert panel; Du Bin, intensive care specialist, and three experts with the China CDC.