China Eases COVID-19 Measures After Protests

China is softening its tone on the severity of COVID-19 and has begun easing some coronavirus restrictions even as its daily case toll hovers near record highs after anger over the world’s toughest curbs fuelled protests across the country. <br />Health authorities announcing the relaxation of measures did not mention the protests, which ranged from candle-lit vigils in Beijing to clashes with the police on the streets of Guangzhou and at an iPhone factory in Zhengzhou last week. <br />The demonstrations marked the biggest show of civil disobedience in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power a decade ago as the economy is set to enter a new era of much slower growth than seen in decades. <br />Vice Premier, Sun Chunlan, who oversees COVID efforts, says the ability of the virus to cause disease was weakening.