People in China remain cautious about coronavirus infection even after the government eased its harsh "zero-COVID" policy last week.

Local media say the average number of ambulance requests in Beijing has recently jumped six fold. Local authorities are also urging asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms to refrain from calling for an ambulance.

In central Beijing on Sunday, few pedestrians or cars were visible, a possible indication of how reluctant people are to go out due to fear of becoming infected.

Authorities are rushing to allay concerns over the risk of infection, which was promoted by the "zero-COVID" policy.

China's state-run media cited an interview with prominent infectious disease expert Zhong Nanshan, who stressed that roughly 99 percent of those infected with the Omicron variant would fully recover within seven days.