Following mass protest against its zero-Covid policy, a senior Chinese official announced that the country was entering a "New stage and mission", indicating easing of restrictions.
Sun Chunlan, China's vice-premier, on Wednesday made the comments just as several regions including Shanghai started lifting lockdowns, according to The Guardian.
However, the several place have reported high Covid infections raising concerns about managing them.
"With the decreasing pathogenicity of the Omicron variant, the increasing vaccination rate and the accumulating experience of outbreak control and prevention, China's pandemic containment faces a new stage and mission," Sun Chunlan was quoted as saying.
Participating a roundtable of health experts, Sun chose not to mention ' zero covid' policy by name but instead said China was taking a more humane approach with covid outbreaks.
In the wake of new vaccination drive for elderly people, Chinese authorities began to tone down on its campaign against Covid.
State media reportedly published "reassurances" advising public not to panic over the Omicron strain of covid 19 spreading in the country.
More than 90% of China's population has received at least two doses of a vaccine, but the rate drops sharply among elderly demographics, especially those over 80, the report said.
The past week China faced raging protest after frustrations over Covid restrictions spilled over to the streets with residents in their hundreds coming out for the first time in decades.