China will continue its routine COVID-19 control measures this year, with a focus on rolling out targeted and scientific measures to
minimize their impact on normal production and lives, as well as accelerating research into vaccines and medicines, according to
the Government Work Report released on Saturday.
Last year, China consolidated outcomes achieved through its effective COVID-19 response and fully vaccinated over 85 percent of
its population, according to the report, which Premier Li Keqiang delivered at the opening of the fifth session of the 13th National 
People's Congress.
"Local outbreaks were suppressed in an effective and quick manner," he said. "By making these efforts, we ensured the health and
safety of the people and maintained the normal order of work and life."
The country's dynamic zero-case policy, which emphasizes prompt control of fresh domestic outbreaks, has enabled it to maintain 
"a world-leading position in COVID-19 control", according to another work report issued by the National Development and Reform
Commission on Saturday.
Concerted efforts have also been devoted to guaranteeing supplies of COVID-19 vaccines and upgrading them to tackle new 
variants. By the end of last year, more than 5 billion doses had been produced, and the domestic immunization campaign had
progressed smoothly to cover 1.2 billion people, the NDRC work report said.
The first domestically developed drug for treating COVID-19 was also approved for market, it added.
In terms of international cooperation, China has actively shared samples, data and response measures related to COVID-19 with
the international community. It became the world's largest provider of COVID-19 vaccines, greatly boosting their accessibility in 
developing countries.
This year, in the face of sporadic local outbreaks and the virus' rampage overseas, the reports said the disease control capabilities
 of ports and centralized isolation facilities will be further strengthened, along with intensified efforts to sanitize cold chain imports 
and manage high-risk workers.
Xiang Dong, deputy head of the Research Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet, said the Chinese mainland has experienced
more than 40 infection clusters in the past two years, all triggered by imported infections.
"That's why we need to make disease control work at port cities the top priority and enforce measures targeting people, objects and
environments simultaneously to fend off infections," he said during a news briefing on Saturday.
More efforts will be devoted to expanding coverage of booster shots and rolling out sequential immunization－booster shots based
on technologies different from those used in initial inoculations.
Zhang Boli, a deputy to the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and an academician with the Academy of Engineering
, told Xinhua News Agency that monitoring the pandemic's trajectory and building herd immunity barriers as soon as possible are
 critical.
"It is important to increase vaccination among the elderly, people with chronic illnesses and children," he said.

来源：中国日报