Beijing city govt to lower COVID-19 emergency response level

Beijing's municipal government said on Wednesday it will lower its COVID-19 emergency response level effective as of 0000 hours on Thursday, removing quarantine requirements for some people arriving from other low-risk parts of the country. The decision by Beijing to lower its emergency response measures to level II from level I comes on the same day China announced that the parliament will begin its key annual session in the capital on May 22.

The number of new daily COVID-19 cases in the country has dropped sharply from the height of the epidemic in February, and the meeting of parliament marks the latest signal that China's leaders believe the country is returning to normal.