China's work to combat covid-19 is now entering a "new phase" that entails "new tasks".

The country's vice prime minister said so on Wednesday in connection with a meeting with Beijing's National Health Commission, the state-run New China News Agency (Xinhua) reports.

The reason is that the virus has weakened while vaccination coverage is increasing, Chunlan said, according to New China.

However, she did not mention the government's strict zero tolerance against covid-19, which has led to large protests around the country.

First public recognition

According to the Bloomberg news agency, Chunlan's statement is Beijing's first public acknowledgment that covid-19 is no longer as dangerous.

According to Frédéric Cho, China advisor and vice chairman of the Sweden-China Trade Council, the statement is a sign that China is taking another step in the direction of abandoning its zero-covid line.

- She (Chunlan) has been zero covid general since the outbreak in Wuhan.

The fact that she then changes the narrative and talks about what is less dangerous is a clear sign that the tone has been softened, he says.

Eased restrictions

Further signs are that several of China's major cities are easing restrictions.

In the capital, Beijing, the daily test frequency is being scaled back.

An exception is made for the elderly, teachers and students and people who work from home.

But residents who want to stay in public spaces will continue to have to present new and negative test results.

Also in the cities of Chonggging, Shijazhuang and Chengdu, testing and isolation requirements have been eased.

In Canton (Guangzhou), where new protests flared overnight on Wednesday, the local authorities announced that only residents with special occupations, such as health care workers and package couriers, need to be tested every day.

Serious situation

SVT's Asia correspondent Tilde Lewin describes the situation in China as "serious".

- It was a time when the West reported high death tolls, but in China life could almost go on as usual.

You were proud of this and gained a lot of prestige.

Now that the protests are coming, it will be as if the protests are not only about politics, but about the party and Xi Jinping personally, says Tilde Lewin.

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be enabled to play video

Read more about browser support

A fire in a high-rise building became the spark for very unusual demonstrations in China, targeting both corona restrictions and the country's government.

Photo: TT/AP