China to continue with 'dynamic-clearing' strategy aimed at controlling coronavirus

China will persevere with its "dynamic-clearing" approach to Covid-19 cases as soon as they emerge, health officials said on Saturday, adding that measures must be implemented more precisely and meet the needs of vulnerable people.

The country's strict Covid containment approach is still able to control the virus, despite the high transmissibility of Covid variants and asymptomatic carriers, an official from the China National Health Commission told a news conference. China's zero-Covid policy includes lockdowns, quarantining and rigorous testing, aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Asked if there would be a change of policy in the near term, disease control official Hu Xiang said China's measures are "completely correct, as well as the most economical and effective."

"We should adhere to principle of putting people and lives first, and the broader strategy of preventing imports from outside and internal rebounds," she said. The briefing followed a week in which markets surged on hope China would relax restrictions, buoyed on Friday when a former official told a banking conference that China would make "substantial" changes to Covid policy.