Chinese officials signal no change to ‘zero-COVID’ policy

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese health officials are giving no indication of any relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions following several days of speculation that the government was considering changes to a “zero-COVID” approach that has stymied economic growth and disrupted daily life. The officials said at a news conference Saturday that they would “unswervingly” stick to the policy. The announcement was not a surprise and doesn’t rule out the possibility that discussions are taking place behind closed doors. But most analysts believe that any change will be gradual and major easing is unlikely until sometime next year.