China announced on Wednesday a statewide easing of COVID-19 limitations in response to protests against the country's hardline stance and calls for greater political liberty.

Unrest not seen since the pro-democracy demonstrations of 1989 was sparked by China's zero-COVID policy, which included huge lockdowns, constant testing, and quarantines for even those who were not affected.

Under the new rules released by the National Health Commission, the frequency and scope of PCR testing — long a tedious part of life in China's COVID-free environment — would be decreased.

Lockdowns will also be toned back, and those with mild COVID cases will be able to isolate themselves at home rather than in centralized government institutions.

People will no longer be needed to display a green health code on their phones to enter public buildings and places, except "nursing homes, medical institutions, kindergartens, middle schools, and junior high schools."

The revised regulations eliminate mandatory quarantines for persons with no symptoms or minor infections.

The revised guidelines state, "Asymptomatic infected individuals and mild cases who are qualified for home isolation are normally isolated at home, or they can voluntarily select centralized isolation for treatment."

"Mass PCR testing should only be conducted in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and high-risk workplaces; the scope and frequency of PCR testing should be curtailed," they stressed.

People traveling between provinces are not required to give a 48-hour test result or to be tested upon arrival.

China would also speed the immunization of the elderly, according to the NHC, which has long been viewed as a major impediment to Beijing's softening of its zero-tolerance policy against COVID.

China witnessed rare demonstrations against the Communist Party's zero-COVID strategy late last month.

Some even demanded the resignation of President Xi Jinping. The protests grew to include demands for wider political liberties.

Authorities suppressed subsequent protests while lifting several limitations, with some Chinese towns cautiously reversing mass testing and movement restrictions.

Beijing, where many companies have reopened in full, said this week that commuters are no longer required to present a negative virus test performed within 48 hours to use public transportation.

Residents of Shanghai, which through a terrible two-month lockdown this year, are permitted to attend outdoor venues such as parks and tourist destinations without having recently passed a test.

And previously dominated by doom and gloom coverage of the perils of the virus and visions of pandemic catastrophe overseas, China's carefully controlled media switched tone substantially to back a gradual move away from zero-COVID.

In an article published by the Communist Party-controlled China Youth Daily, Chong Yutian, a professor of medicine in Guangzhou, stated that the common Omicron strain is "absolutely nothing like last year's Delta variety."

"After infection with the Omicron form, the great majority will experience minimal or mild symptoms, and very few will develop severe symptoms," he assured his audience.

On Monday, analysts at the Japanese firm Nomura estimated that 53 cities, home to about one-third of China's population, still had restrictions in place.

The declaration on Wednesday came just hours after the administration released additional data demonstrating the devastating economic effects of zero-COVID.

Imports and exports fell to levels not seen since early 2020 in November.

According to the General Administration of Customs, imports declined 10.6 percent year-over-year in November, the largest reduction since May 2020. In the same period, exports declined by 8.7%.