Major adjustments! The ninth version of the COVID-19 prevention and control plan has been released, with these changes →

(Photo source: Xinhua News Agency)

In order to further guide all localities to scientifically and accurately carry out the prevention and control of the new coronavirus pneumonia, after carefully summarizing the prevention and control practices after the issuance of the "New Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Plan (Eighth Edition)", especially based on the characteristics of the rapid transmission and strong concealment of the Omicron variant, the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism for the New Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic Responding to the New Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic Comprehensive Group organized the revision and formation of the "New Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Plan (Ninth Edition)", comprehensively implementing the general strategy of "preventing imports from outside and rebounding from inside" and the general policy of "dynamic zeroing", effectively safeguarding the lives and health of the people, and coordinating the prevention and control of the epidemic with economic and social development to the greatest extent. The main revisions are as follows:

1. Optimize and adjust the isolation management period and methods for risk personnel

The quarantine and control period for close contacts and inbound personnel will be adjusted from "14 days of centralized quarantine medical observation + 7 days of home health monitoring" to "7 days of centralized quarantine medical observation + 3 days of home health monitoring", and the nucleic acid testing measures will be adjusted from "nucleic acid testing on the 1st, 4th, 7th and 14th days of centralized quarantine medical observation, collection of nasopharyngeal swabs, and double sampling and double testing before lifting the quarantine" to "nucleic acid testing on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th days of centralized quarantine medical observation and on the 3rd day of home health monitoring, collection of oropharyngeal swabs", and double sampling and double testing will not be required before lifting the centralized quarantine medical observation. The control measures for close contacts of close contacts will be adjusted from "7 days of centralized quarantine medical observation" to "7 days of home quarantine medical observation", with nucleic acid testing on the 1st, 4th and 7th days.

2. Unify the standards for defining closed and controlled areas and medium- and high-risk areas

The demarcation standards and prevention and control measures of the two types of risk areas are connected and matched, and the concepts of medium and high risk areas are used uniformly to form a new risk area demarcation and control plan. High-risk areas implement "stay at home, door-to-door service", and if there are no new infections for 7 consecutive days, they will be downgraded to medium-risk areas, and if there are no new infections for 3 consecutive days, they will be downgraded to low-risk areas. Other areas will take 7 days of centralized isolation and medical observation measures for people who have traveled to high-risk areas in the past 7 days. Medium-risk areas implement "stay at home, take things at different times", and if there are no new infections for 7 consecutive days, they will be downgraded to low-risk areas. Other areas will take 7 days of home medical observation measures for people who have traveled to medium-risk areas in the past 7 days. Low-risk areas refer to other areas of counties (cities, districts, and banners) where medium- and high-risk areas are located, and "personal protection and avoidance of gatherings" will be implemented. Other areas require people who have traveled to low-risk areas in the past 7 days to complete 2 nucleic acid tests within 3 days.

III. Improve epidemic monitoring requirements

Increase the frequency of nucleic acid testing for people in risk occupations, adjust nucleic acid testing for people who have direct contact with incoming personnel, objects, and the environment to once a day, and adjust nucleic acid testing for workers in crowded places, frequent contact with people, and high mobility to twice a week. Add antigen testing as a supplementary means of epidemic monitoring. Primary medical and health institutions can add antigen testing for suspected patients and people in medium- and high-risk areas when handling the epidemic.

4. Optimizing regional nucleic acid testing strategies

Clarify the nucleic acid testing plans for areas with different population sizes, and for provincial capitals, cities with a population of more than 10 million, general cities, and rural areas, comprehensively assess factors such as whether the source of infection after an outbreak is clear, whether there is a risk of community transmission, and whether the transmission chain is clear. Determine the scope and frequency of regional nucleic acid testing based on the size of the risk and the principle of grading and classification.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhua News Agency, National Health Commission official website