The National Health Commission recently revised its guidelines on COVID-19 nucleic acid testing, asking places with newly emerged infections to conduct “targeted-area testing” based on local prevention and control conditions, rather than “mass testing” as previously required. It also stipulates that such testing be completed within 24 hours, as compared with the previous 48 or 72 hours.
The revised guidelines will help public health officials to designate areas where people need testing in a more scientific and accurate way, and thus make the process to identify the potential sources of infection more efficient. The changes have been made in line with the country’s evolving epidemic situation in which the more infectious Omicron variant has become the dominant strain of the novel coronavirus causing new infections.
The authorities have already updated the national anti-pandemic protocols, which now allow patients with mild symptoms to go to centralized quarantine facilities instead of hospitals, and exempt people with very low viral loads from being classified as positive cases.
The slew of changes being introduced reflect the new thinking of the authorities as the country wages its latest battle against the virus. With 2,591 locally transmitted cases reported by the National Health Commission on Wednesday, the central authorities are seeking to refine their anti-pandemic tactics in a bid to minimize the costs of the stringent prevention and control measures on people’s livelihoods and economic activities.
The changes to the testing requirements and anti-pandemic protocols have injected more confidence among the people that the country can win the fight against the fresh wave of the virus while also keeping the economy going. The moves have been especially welcomed by the public given the severe disruptions to the operations of small businesses and harm done to people’s livelihoods by the zealousness of some local officials who have resorted to indiscriminate lockdowns and mass testing to try to contain the resurgence of the virus.
After combating the virus for over two years, and with more than 80 percent of the population vaccinated and people’s full support, local governments at various levels should be proficient in dealing with any resurgence of the virus, as the virus prevention and control measures have become well targeted and can be implemented with the minimum costs.
For the country to win final victory in the anti-virus fight, officials must make sure that they gain public support by transparently implementing anti-pandemic methods that are scientific and accurate and in line with the local realities. Only by doing so can a solid foundation be laid for the country to get the virus completely under control.
Editorial, China Daily
