After nearly three years, a significant loosening of zero-COVID measures has been signalled by senior government officials and public health experts.
Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said on Thursday that China's health system had "withstood the test" of COVID, allowing further adjustments to state policies.
"You can have zero-COVID, but you can't have a healthy economy, and you can have a healthy economy, but you can't have zero-COVID."
Laura Yasaitis, a public health expert at the Eurasia Group think-tank who follows China's zero-COVID policies, said fear of the virus likely varied widely across the country, as well as within cities or provinces.
Officials have repeatedly said that China's health system would be unable to cope with a surge in cases, with medical resources unevenly distributed across the country.