BEIJING — China will stick to the dynamic zero-COVID approach as the line of defense against the epidemic at the moment, a Chinese health official said on March 18.

It represents a perfect example of how China honors its commitment to putting the people and human life above all else, and the biggest contribution it has made to the global COVID-19 fight, said Wang Hesheng, deputy head of the National Health Commission.

The goal of this approach is to bring the epidemic under control in the shortest possible time with a minimum cost to society. The essence of the approach is swift response and targeted prevention and control, he told a press conference.