"Data on asymptomatic infections will no longer be published starting today [December 14, 2022]," the commission said on the website.
The committee said that the decision was made due to the fact that it is now impossible to accurately determine the number of asymptomatic carriers as PCR testing in China is currently voluntary.
According to the authority, 2,291 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours.
On Tuesday, the Chinese authorities stopped using the application for tracking citizens' intercity movements, which was in operation almost from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. China's government used this app to track the movement of people and thus find out whether a particular person visited locations with an increased level of epidemiological risk. Citizens were obliged to show their travel codes at airports, train and bus stations, and when attending various events.
In November, China saw a record increase in local COVID-19 outbreaks. Due to the deterioration of the epidemiological situation, the authorities introduced partial lockdowns in some areas while also forcing their residents to undergo PCR testing on a daily basis. In particular, starting from November 24, restrictive measures were tightened in a number of China's major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai.
Against this background, some Chinese cities — Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Wuhan, and others — were hit by mass protests. The rioters demanded the immediate lifting of lockdowns, the abolition of regular PCR testing, and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
As a result, the Chinese authorities were forced to make concessions. On December 7, they announced the introduction of measures to optimize COVID-19 policy. The steps include the abolition of indiscriminate PCR testing, the ability for asymptomatic citizens or those with mild symptoms to remain in home isolation, lifting restrictions on online and offline purchases of antipyretics, and accelerating the vaccination of older people.