Firms using a range of strategies to try to keep operations running while Covid spreads at a rapid pace through some Chinese cities

Analysts say China is ill-prepared for a fresh wave of infections, with little exposure to a disease kept largely in check until now

Cities that were already battling their most severe outbreaks saw a sharp decrease in economic activity after rules such as regular testing were scrapped

Beijing said on Saturday it would stop checking truckers and shipping crews that carry goods around the country for Covid-19, such as masks and medicines.

Beijing's loosening of rules that have hobbled the world's second largest economy is being seen as the strongest sign yet that China is preparing its 1.4 billion people to live with the disease

The Apple supplier sees its China factory returning to full output by late December after unrest broke out among workers over Covid curbs

Analysts predict China may now re-open the economy and drop border controls sooner than expected next year, with some seeing it fully open in spring

New measures on the handling of Covid-19 could be announced on Wednesday, including the possibility of people being allowed to quarantine at home, sources have said

The Caixin/S&P Global services purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 46.7 from 48.4, marking the third monthly contraction

Analysts predict a consumption rise as lockdown savings are spent following three years of economically suffocating Covid restrictions

Even though daily cases are near all-time highs, some cities are loosening Covid-19 testing and quarantine rules following large-scale public unrest

Some communities now require less frequent testing and are allowing close contacts of infected people to quarantine at home. New measures are expected to be announced within days.