China's epidemic control policies must continue, health chief says

The COVID-19 epidemic fueled by the Omicron variant is not a more troublesome flu, and if China follows the coexistence strategies of some other countries and starts "lying flat", then its previous efforts would be wasted, Liang Wannian, head of the National Health Commission's COVID-19 leading task force, said at a news briefing on Tuesday.

China may consider adjusting its epidemic control policies if the novel coronavirus were to become less severe, the pandemic were to subside and more effective vaccines and treatment options were made available, he said.

In the meantime, the country's current priorities should be to continue to uphold its dynamic clearance strategy, increase vaccination coverage and improve tracking and quarantine measures, he said.

Liang said it is natural for people to feel exhausted after dealing with COVID-19 for over two years, and that he recognizes the hard work and sacrifices they have made, but it is imperative for the public not to let its guard down.

The Omicron variant is highly transmissible and vaccination coverage among the nation's elderly remains relatively low, making them a vulnerable group, he said, adding that it's wrong to assume the variant is just a "bigger flu".

Moreover, China upholds the health and well-being of its people as its top priority, which differs from the strategies that many other countries are taking, Liang said.

As a result, China's epidemic control measures have been extremely successful. The nation has had low numbers of cases and fatalities, and the impact of domestic outbreaks on overall socioeconomic development has been limited — an impressive feat for a country with 1.4 billion people, Liang said.

"If we give up and start 'lying flat' now, then all our previous efforts will go to waste," he said.

Another key fact that often gets misunderstood is that the novel coronavirus is constantly mutating, so nobody can be sure that the Omicron strain will be the last variant of concern, Liang said.

"Our vaccines today can provide some protection against the Omicron variant, but they may be insufficient at preventing infection or other emerged viral strains," he said.

Fortunately, scientists are bringing new hope as they accelerate the development of more potent vaccines and drugs.

"With this in mind, we cannot give up easily. We need to persevere," Liang said.