China achieves major, decisive victory in COVID response: CPC leadership

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said at a meeting on Thursday that China has achieved a major and decisive victory in its COVID-19 prevention and control since November 2022.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech.

Over the past three years, China has taken an extraordinary journey in its COVID-19 prevention and control work, the meeting noted after hearing a report on recent work of epidemic response.

Always putting the people and their lives first, the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core has optimized prevention and control measures in light of evolving situations, efficiently coordinated COVID-19 response with economic and social development, and effectively protected the people's lives and health, the meeting said.

With continuous efforts to optimize COVID-19 prevention and control measures since November 2022, China's COVID-19 response has made a smooth transition in a relatively short time, with more than 200 million people accessing medical services, nearly 800,000 severe cases receiving proper treatment, and the country's COVID-19 fatality rate remaining the world's lowest, the meeting said.

China has created a miracle in human history, in which a highly populous nation has successfully pulled through a pandemic, the meeting announced.

It has been proven through practice that the CPC Central Committee has been right in its judgement of the pandemic situation, major response decisions and major strategy adjustments, the meeting said. It noted that measures have been robust, have received approval from the people, and have shown great effect.

While the epidemic situation has continued to improve in China, the virus is still spreading globally and continues to mutate, the meeting noted.

It urged all localities and departments to optimize related mechanisms and measures, strengthen the medical service system, and consolidate the hard-earned achievements in a resolute manner.

Underlining the importance of fully implementing the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee, the meeting called for efforts to enhance COVID-19 monitoring and early warning capacity, and improve the systems for COVID-19 monitoring and information reporting. Through these efforts, timely and accurate early warnings can be issued, and necessary emergency control measures can be taken.

It called for scientific planning for the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, based on the mutation of the novel coronavirus and the efficacy of protection offered by the vaccines, and highlighted the importance of improving the vaccination rate among the elderly.

The meeting stressed the need to continue optimizing the layout of resources. It called for continuous efforts to strengthen the production and supply of medicines and medical materials, and to earnestly resolve shortcomings in capacity, medicine supply, equipment and other areas at the primary level.

Scientific and technological breakthroughs in health care need to be advanced in a coordinated manner, the meeting said.

Efforts should be made to preserve the important outcomes of the fight against COVID-19, better tell China's stories of this fight, and encourage the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to solidify their confidence in their success, the meeting noted.

Other issues were also discussed at the meeting.