Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- People in the Chinese capital have been allowed to enter parks, supermarkets, offices, subways and airports without showing a negative COVID-19 test result, in one step to ease the country’s covid restrictions, Reuters reported.

"Beijing is preparing for life again," - an article with such a headline was published in the Chinese socio-political newspaper China Daily.

Reuters also notes that there could be further easing of anti-COVID measures. China may announce 10 new national easing measures aimed at combating COVID-19 on 7 December, according to the agency’s sources.

"The most difficult period has passed," the Xinhua news agency said in a commentary published on the evening of 5 December. The material notes that there was a weakening of the pathogenicity of the virus. In addition, the fact that 90% of the population was vaccinated played a big role in the fight against the virus.

“The general direction of the return to normality is already very clear, and in order to restore the economy, it is necessary to return the free movement of people across the provinces,” Chinese journalist Hu Xijin wrote on his blog.

Analysts predict China could reopen its economy and lift border controls sooner than expected. Some make predictions that the PRC will fully open in the spring.

For investors, this news is encouraging, as it could help the world’s second-largest economy regain strength and help drive global growth. The yuan has gained about 5% against the dollar since early November on expectations of a possible recovery in China’s economy.