A senior citizen receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Hangzhou. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

China's National Health Commission unveiled 10 changes to China's COVID restrictions on Dec 7 to deal with the highly transmissible but less virulent Omicron sub-variants.

The latest rules include removing the requirement for negative nucleic acid test results and green health codes for cross-regional travel and entering public spaces, with the exception of nursing homes, hospitals, kindergartens and places where vulnerable populations gather.

Hangzhou calls for everyone to be responsible for their own health and respond to the epidemic scientifically.

People with mild symptoms and asymptomatic cases can now quarantine at home instead of at a quarantine center. Meanwhile, the purchase of over-the-counter medicines for fever, cough and cold, as well as antiviral drugs, is no longer restricted.

The city has also launched the "Hang Kang Yuan" service platform to reduce the need for nucleic acid testing, as it allows people to upload at-home COVID-19 antigen test results and present them via the Hangzhou Health Code platform on the Alipay App when needed.

In order to make treatment easier, all medical institutions in the city canceled the 48-hour negative nucleic acid test requirement for outpatients and emergency care on Dec 17. People at a high risk of contracting COVID-19 are now advised to get another booster shot.

The city is making all-out efforts to ramp up the production of key medicines and medical supplies, and medical institutions are coordinating in epidemic containment, treatment of infected patients and daily medical services.

People line up for COVID-19 vaccines in Hangzhou. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]