BEIJING, Nov. 11 (Portal) – China eased some of its COVID curbs on Friday, including cutting quarantine times by two days for close contacts of cases and for inbound travelers and scrapping a penalty on airlines that bring in infected passengers.
The new rules were among 20 measures examined at the first meeting of the ruling Communist Party’s new top executive body on Thursday, amid a fresh push to streamline and improve COVID control policies.
Under the new rules, quarantine for close contacts will be reduced to five days at a central location plus three days at home, down from seven days centralized and three days at home.
A similar shortening of quarantine rules has been made for inbound travelers, under revised rules that the National Health Commission (NHC) has published on its website.
The suspension of international flight routes due to proof of infected passengers has also been scrapped, while for inbound travelers the pre-departure COVID test requirement has been reduced from twice to once in 48 hours.
The party’s Politburo Standing Committee stressed the need to minimize the impact of China’s zero-COVID measures on the economy without relaxing crackdowns on outbreaks.
In what appears to be further reform to simplify the campaign against the coronavirus, the NHC adjusted its classification of risk areas from previously “high”, “medium” and “low” to “high” and “low” risk.
The NHC said the number of people affected by COVID measures should be minimised.
Secondary close contacts would no longer have to be determined, although close contacts would continue to exist, the health department said.
Every effort should also be made to ensure smooth logistics for companies and industrial parks during the outbreaks, and key companies should not be arbitrarily asked to halt production.
China will also draw up a plan to speed up vaccination, especially for the elderly, the NHC said.
Reporting by Tony Munroe and Ryan Woo; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Robert Birsel
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