Beijing, China

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday (December 30) that the coronavirus strategy in the nation was "optimised" to protect the lives of citizens and minimise economic costs of the pandemic. China is currently reeling amid a sudden surge in positive Covid cases, with reports of multiple outbreaks across the country. 

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Xi's recent remarks are an extension of what he said earlier this week regarding the current Covid situation in China. While speaking for the first time on the recent rise in cases, the Chinese president had urged the authorities to take steps to "protect" lives. 

Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday (December 30) that while listing his achievements of 2022, Xi said at an event, "We have optimised Covid control strategy based on time and situation in order to best protect people's lives and health, and minimise the impact on economic and social development." 

In the report, Xi used terms like "Covid control strategy," instead of Covid zero policy. Earlier this month, China eased some of the hardline measures which led to a fresh wave of Covid cases. 

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To curb the spread of Covid virus, China had adopted a strict zero-Covid policy, and to some extent, the authorities were successful too. But the repercussions of lockdowns and restricted trade were massive on the nation's economy. 

After a visible impact on the economy and public outrage after the deadly apartment fire in the country's far west, the authorities started relaxing some of the measures following protests. 

But the Covid situation in China is continuing to worsen. Also, it is slightly difficult to get updates as the Chinese authorities informed that they have stopped publishing daily Covid figures. 

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As per the National Health Commission, the decision came into effect on December 25. The drastic step has baffled the experts as the NHC released Covid data for the last three years. But as per studies, around one million people could die over the next few months in China. 

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