Chinese authorities on Friday released 20 optimized measures to further enhance scientific and precise work of epidemic prevention and control, one day after the Chinese leadership held a meeting to hear a report on the COVID-19 response, and discussed and arranged the 20 measures.
The newest steps include shortened quarantine period for international arrivals and close contacts of confirmed cases from 7+3 (seven days of centralized quarantine and three days of health observation at home) to 5+3.
The measures required timely screening of close contacts of confirmed cases, but required to stop screening close contacts of close contacts, or the secondary contacts.
Circuit breaker mechanism on inbound flights to China upon detecting positive cases on board has also been canceled. Passengers of inbound flights to China will only need to provide one negative nucleic acid testing result within past 48 hours instead of two, according to the latest measures.
Ct value of nucleic acid testing of international arrivals would have to be less than 35. Those showing Ct value of 35-40 have to accept evaluation on virus transmission risk, according to the measures.
Business people and athlete groups have to be transferred directly from where they arrived to closed-loop quarantine-exemption areas and should not leave the area. Chinese nationals have to accept booster shots before entering these closed-loop areas, the measures required.
Per the latest measures, places in China would only be identified as high risk and low risk in terms of epidemic transmission. The classification of medium-risk area would be canceled.
People coming from high-risk areas have to stay at home for seven days for health observation instead of seven days of centralized quarantine.
The latest measures also called for promotion of mass vaccination in China, especially the administration of booster shots among the elderly group.
The measures also urged accelerated research and development of broad spectrum vaccines and drugs.
The measures vowed to deal with excessive and one-size-fits-all measures seriously, banning unreasonable steps to lock down schools, suspend traffic or clinical service. Such violations would be punished seriously according to regulations and laws, read the measures.
(Global Times)
