Under China’s newly updated COVID-19 control protocol, close contacts and inbound travelers will be under medical observation in isolation at designated sites for seven days plus three days of in-home health monitoring.
This is an obvious length cut compared with 14 days of medical observation in isolation at designated sites plus seven days of health monitoring at home stipulated by the previous edition of the protocol.
Also according to the ninth edition of the protocol released by the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism yesterday, individuals deemed to have had close contact with COVID-19 close contacts will face seven days of medical observation under home quarantine, instead of seven days of medical observation in isolation at designated sites.
Under the new protocol, China will increase the frequency of nucleic acid tests for individuals with direct contact with inbound travelers, goods and environments to one time a day.
Lei Zhenglong, deputy director of the National Health Commission’s bureau of disease prevention and control, said at a news conference yesterday that the latest adjustments are definitely not a loosening of epidemic control and prevention measures. Rather, the nation requires quicker and more precise measures to balance epidemic control and economic development.
Wang Liping, an official with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said the quarantine strategies were optimized based on new studies on the Omicron variants and domestic prevention experiences.
“Studies show that the average incubation period of Omicron variants has been shortened to two to four days, and most can be detected within seven days,” Wang said.
The guidelines also strengthened regular monitoring of the epidemic by taking actions such as increasing the frequency of nucleic acid testing for high-risk groups, improving registration after buying epidemic-related drugs and adding COVID-19 antigen tests at grassroots-level medical institutions, she said.
Remarkable progress has been made in China’s COVID-19 containment work, as the resurgence is easing yet fluctuating, Lei said.
China reported 25 new local COVID-19 infection cases on average daily from June 20 to 27, according to him.
The pandemic is developing, and the COVID-19 virus is evolving, Lei said, adding that China still faces a tough situation in its COVID-19 containment.