China's Guangzhou city relaxes COVID rules in several districts

The Chinese city of Guangzhou relaxed COVID prevention rules in several districts on Wednesday in an effort to implement rules authorities announced this month aimed at easing the burden of the strict zero-COVID policy.

Guangzhou, China's manufacturing hub, has been hard hit in China's latest COVID-19 outbreaks and people in the southern city took to the streets to protest against the strict COVID-prevention rules on the weekend.

The relaxation of curbs comes after the city of 19 million people recorded fewer coronavirus cases over the past few days.

Authorities in city districts including Haizhu, Baiyun, Fanyu, Tianhe, Conghua, Huadu, Liwan, said in statements they were lifting temporary lockdowns.

One district, Conghua, said it would allow in-person classes in schools to resume and would reopen restaurants and other businesses including cinemas.

Parts of the city classified as "high-risk" would remain under lockdown.

Home to many migrant factory workers, Guangzhou is a sprawling port city north of Hong Kong in Guangdong province, where officials announced late on Tuesday they would allow close contacts of COVID cases to quarantine at home rather than being forced to go to shelters.