On November 11, the Joint Prevention and Control mechanism of The State Council issued a Notice on Further Optimizing the prevention and control Measures of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, which proposed 20 measures (hereinafter referred to as the “20 measures”) for further optimizing the prevention and control work. Among them, in areas where the epidemic has not occurred, nucleic acid testing shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the scope defined in the ninth edition of the prevention and control plan for high-risk positions and key personnel, and the scope of nucleic acid testing shall not be expanded. Generally, nucleic acid testing of all personnel is not carried out according to administrative region, but only when the source of infection and transmission chain are unclear, and the community transmission time is long and the epidemic situation is unclear. We will formulate specific implementation measures for standardizing nucleic acid testing, reiterate and refine relevant requirements, and correct unscientific practices such as “two tests a day” and “three tests a day”.
How will twenty measures help the economy recover?
The press conference took place shortly after the authorities announced 20 measures to optimize epidemic prevention and control, and how to effectively coordinate epidemic control and economic development has become the focus of concern.
According to an analysis published by Bloomberg News on May 14, twenty measures may reduce the economic and social impact of the epidemic control. The market has also responded positively to more scientific and precise measures. The outside world noticed that the RMB exchange rate rose sharply on the afternoon of the article 20 release. Within half an hour of the new rules being issued, the onshore yuan recovered the 7.1 mark to close at 7.1106, up nearly 2 per cent.
The spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics used a number of “beneficial” words to further generalize at the meeting. He said that recently, the comprehensive team of the Joint prevention and control mechanism of The State Council issued 20 measures to further optimize the epidemic prevention and control work, which will help make the epidemic prevention and control more scientific and precise, and help protect the life and health of the people to the greatest extent. Minimize the impact of the epidemic on economic and social development. As these measures are effectively implemented, they will help maintain normal production and life order, restore market demand and smooth the economic cycle.
Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao newspaper quoted analysts as saying the new rules would boost economic forecasts for next year. However, concerns about implementation remain. Michel Wuttke, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, agreed that the effectiveness of the new measures ultimately depends on how they are implemented.
Fu said that in the next stage, in accordance with the requirements of preventing the epidemic, stabilizing the economy and ensuring safe development, we will continue to coordinate the epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development in an efficient manner, ensure the effective implementation of various policies and measures, continue to safeguard people’s safety and health, promote the stable recovery of the economy, strengthen the guarantee of people’s livelihood, and promote steady and healthy economic development.
China announces optimization of COVID-19 rules
China will cut COVID-19 quarantine period for incoming travelers from 10 to 8 days, cancel the circuit breaker for inbound flights and no longer determine secondary close contacts of confirmed cases, health authorities said on Friday.
Categories of COVID-risk areas will be adjusted to high and low, from the old tertiary standards of high, medium and low, according to a notice that lays out 20 measures aimed at upgrading disease control measures.
According to the notice released by the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism, international travelers will undergo five days of centralized quarantine plus three days of home-based isolation, compared with the current rule of seven days of centralized isolation plus three days spent at home.
It also stipulates that inbound travelers should not be put into isolation again after finishing the required quarantine period at their first points of entry.
The circuit-breaker mechanism, which bans flight routes if inbound international flights carry COVID-19 cases, will be canceled. Inbound travelers will only need to provide one, rather than two, negative nucleic acid testing results taken 48 hours before boarding.
Quarantine periods for close contacts of confirmed infections have also been reduced from 10 to 8 days, while secondary close contacts will no longer be traced.
The notice said that modifying categories of COVID-risk areas is aimed at minimizing the number of people facing travel restrictions.
High-risk areas, it said, will cover residences of infected cases and places where they frequently visit and are at high risk of the virus’s spread. The designation of high-risk areas should be bound to a certain building unit and should not be expanded recklessly. If no new cases are detected for five consecutive days, the high-risk label along with control measures should be lifted promptly.
The notice also requires ramping up stockpiles of COVID-19 drugs and medical equipment, preparing more intensive care unit beds, bolstering booster vaccination rates especially among the elderly and accelerating research of broad-spectrum and multivalent vaccines.
It also vows to heighten crackdown on malpractices such as adopting one-size-fits-all policies or imposing additional curbs, as well as stepping up care for vulnerable groups and stranded groups amid a local outbreak.
Post time: Nov-21-2022