China optimizes COVID-19 response

(ECNS) -- The National Health Commission of China released a notice Friday on its optimized COVID-19 control and prevention measures.

Inbound business personnel and sports groups will be transferred to closed-loop management areas where isolation is not required. They can leave the closed loop when their health code turns green.

For those who enter the Chinese mainland, "7-day centralized quarantine plus 3-day stay-at-home health monitoring" will be changed to "5-day centralized quarantine plus 3-day home quarantine."

The criteria to judge whether an entrant is positive or negative is based on their nucleic acid detection Ct value below 35, with a risk assessment to be carried out on personnel whose nucleic acid detection Ct value was between 35 and 40 when their quarantine was lifted. If it was a past infection, the person should undergo two nucleic acid tests in three days, and should not leave home before their health code turns green.

China will also abolish the circuit breaker mechanism for inbound flights. Two negative nucleic acid tests within 48 hours before boarding will be adjusted to one negative nucleic acid test within 48 hours before departure.

The domestic risk areas will be adjusted from the previous three categories of "high, medium, and low" to two categories of "high and low," to minimize COVID-19 prevention and control personnel numbers.

For close contacts, "7-day centralized quarantine plus 3-day stay-at-home health monitoring" will be changed to "5-day centralized quarantine plus 3-day home quarantine," during which they should not leave before their health code turns green. One nucleic acid test will be conducted on the first, second, third, and fifth day of medical observation, and on the first and third day for people in home medical observation.