China will no longer compel international travelers to undergo quarantine as of 8 January, marking the latest departure from its zero-COVID policy in response to protests.

The law, which requires immigrants to remain in quarantine for five days at a hotel and three days at home, has already been reduced from the previous requirement of up to three weeks.

The health commission stated that when the requirement is repealed next month, travelers visiting China would still need a negative COVID-19 test 48 hours before departure.

Recently, the government has drastically relaxed its restrictive COVID-19 lockout restrictions in response to an unexpected public outcry in late November.

Changes were made as part of a more significant downgrade of the risk presented by the virus in the country, as the Chinese populace grew weary of draconian lockdowns and the economy deteriorated.

As a result of the rollback, officials calculated that 250 million people caught the virus within the first 20 days of December, according to notes that were released.

Shanghai, the largest metropolis in China, had 5.43 million positive cases among its 25 million citizens last week.

Due to the comparatively low percentage of fully vaccinated citizens, millions could perish.

However, the number of positive cases may not be known because Chinese officials no longer report asymptomatic patients.

The second-largest economy in the world had been effectively cut off from the rest of the world for the better part of three years. Since the beginning of 2020, an effective ban on international tourism has been in effect.

The most recent policy adjustment opens the basis for a more robust economic recovery once the infection wave subsides.

Premier and second most influential person in China, Li Keqiang, officially acknowledged the economic damage caused by the pandemic and stated that the relaxation of strict lockdown regulations will help the economy "recover."

China had committed to strengthening the economy the following year when growth slowed due to protracted lockdowns. Economists emphasized growing gross domestic product, a gauge of economic activity.

The year-to-November decline in retail sales was about 6%, which was worse than analysts had predicted. The economy is on track to miss its annual growth objective of 5.5%, which is already the lowest projection in decades.

By implementing a regimen of stringent lockdowns, China has been able to escape the epidemics that have plagued nearly every other country on earth.