As police patrolled major cities to stamp out protests against the country's strict zero- Covid policy, Chinese health officials announced a drive to accelerate vaccinations against Covid-19.
One of the major hurdles to easing the zero- Covid policy is the low vaccination rate among older people.
At a regular press conference on Tuesday, officials said that only a small percentage of people over the age of 80 had received a booster vaccine.
The NHC wants to reduce the gap between basic vaccinations and booster shots for elderly people.
The NHC said it would target more vaccinations at people older than 80 and reduce the gap between basic vaccine and booster shots for elderly people.
Local authorities were ordered to improve vaccine promotion and delivery to older age groups who have been more averse to vaccinations than younger generations. Some people would have to explain why they didn't get the vaccine.
China has a zero- Covid policy.
China has yet to approve a vaccine that is proven to be more effective. While swathes of the population are not fully immunised, health experts fear that China's healthcare system will be overwhelmed.
China recorded 38,421 domestic infections on Tuesday, slightly down from record highs seen over the weekend and low when compared with cases seen in western countries during the peak of the Pandemic.
The official blamed the implementation of government policies at the local level for the problems reported by the people.
There was a heavy police presence in many cities. Hundreds of police occupied a large public square in the city of Hangzhou on Monday night, preventing people from congregating.
Some groups on the Telegram social media app had suggested that people should gather again, but police were still patrolling the areas.
Police asked people for their phones to check if they had virtual private networks and the Telegram app, which has been used by protesters. Most people in China are not allowed to use a virtual private network or the Telegram app.
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Instructions about how to keep phone data safe from police checks were shared on Telegram by people. One message said that the guide may prevent unpleasant situations down the road.
The bar staff told the news agency that they had been ordered to close at 10pm for "disease control". There were small groups of officers outside each exit.
Agence France-Presse journalists saw police detain four people and then release one. Tonight is nervy. A man in his 30s said that there were so many police.
A deadly fire last week in Urumqi, the capital of north-west China's Xinjiang region, was the catalyst for the wave of outrage, with protesters blaming Covid restrictions for hampered rescue efforts.
The report was contributed to by Agence France- Presse.
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