Health workers report huge jump in mostly elderly Covid patients as China adjusts to living largely without virus restrictions

Chinese hospitals were under intense pressure as a surging wave of Covid-19 infections strained resources in the last major country to move towards treating the virus as endemic.

In an abrupt change of policy, China earlier this month began dismantling the world’s strictest Covid regime of lockdowns and extensive testing, putting its battered economy on course for a complete re-opening next year.

China to lift quarantine requirement for inbound travellers and resume issuing visas for overseas travel from 8 January

Chinese people have rushed to book overseas travel as authorities scrapped the last big plank of the country’s zero-Covid policy despite reports of hospitals being overwhelmed nationwide.

Late on Monday health authorities announced they would no longer require inbound travellers to go into quarantine, then on Tuesday the immigration authority said it would resume issuing visas for mainland residents to travel overseas from 8 January.

Eight days of isolation will no longer be needed, and officials say citizens’ ability to travel will be slowly restored

China will drop Covid-19 quarantine requirements for passengers arriving from abroad from 8 January, its National Health Commission has announced in the latest easing of the country’s once-strict virus-control measures.

Currently, arriving passengers must quarantine for five days at a hotel, followed by three days at home. At one stage there was a requirement to quarantine for three weeks.

City’s kindergartens and childcare centres also to stop in-person lessons as cases rise across China after easing of restrictions

Shanghai’s education bureau has told schools to hold classes online from Monday as rising numbers of Covid infections hit cities across China.

On Saturday the bureau also instructed kindergartens and childcare centres in the city to shut all in-person classes, according to an online statement.

Health officials cease recording asymptomatic cases as shortages of medical supplies and testing kits reported in wake of sudden end to strict Covid policy

• China’s zero-Covid policy explained in 30 seconds

The spread of Covid-19 in China is now “impossible” to track, the country’s health authorities have said, announcing they have stopped recording asymptomatic cases in their daily tallies.

The admission comes amid soaring presentations to hospitals and clinics as Covid-19 spreads rapidly through the population in the wake of the sudden removal of strict pandemic measures. Authorities have urged people not to seek emergency healthcare unless necessary, and announced the rollout of second boosters to elderly and vulnerable people.