China to loosen 'Zero COVID' restriction amid week-long street protests

China is reportedly set to ease "zero COVID" rules after protests erupted for a week about lockdowns through the country to try to control the spread of the virus.

The strict rules include isolating every person infected with COVID, which has resulted in many people being locked in their homes for months.

Protesters in Shanghai have demanded that Chinese President Xi Jinping step down and have shouted such chants as "Communist party, step down," according to the BBC.

The protests began on Friday, and its still unclear how many of the protesters were detained.

China has implemented some of the world's strongest COVID measures since the beginning of the pandemic. Among the problems with the plan reportedly are that vaccines are ineffective and that it doesn't adequately help the vulnerable elderly.

The city of Beijing said it will no longer place gates to block access to apartment buildings with COVID-positive residents, the Associated Press reported.