China is set to announce an easing of its COVID quarantine rules in coming days and a reduction in mass testing, sources told Reuters, even as cases nationwide remain near record highs. Some cities lifted some district lockdowns this week, as Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees COVID efforts, said the ability of the virus to cause disease was weakening. The policy shift comes after anger over the world's toughest curbs fuelled protests unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012. All those cities have been reporting hundreds or even thousands of cases a day - high numbers by China's standards. Some places in Shanghai this week in fact tightened testing requirements to every 48 hours from 72.

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