State official allays fears over unending PCR tests

Thanks to the resurgence of the pandemic, several Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, now require people to show negative COVID-19 test results within the last 72 hours to enter various venues, including offices and commercial sites. But how long will this situation last?

He Qinghua, an inspector with the National Health Commission, alluded to such concerns on Thursday during a press conference held in Beijing by the COVID-19 combat mechanism of the State Council, China's Cabinet.

Areas where there's no COVID-19 pandemic nor any risk of having coronavirus cases imported from elsewhere, a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result shouldn't be mandatory, according to He.

The NHC official also stressed scientific planning of PCR test strategies to avoid "blind expanding" of targeted test groups.

"After an outbreak, the first PCR tests should be carried out in locked-down areas within 24 hours and in controlled areas within 48 hours. The other residents of the same locality should be required to move around with negative test results from within the last 48 hours, but this can be subject to changes based on requirements on the ground," He insisted.

Since the end of May, several Chinese cities that require regular PCR tests have extended the validity period of the test results from 48 hours to 72 hours.

Explaining this decision, Li Ang, vice director of Beijing's health commission, told the same conference that the prevailing Omicron variant of COVID-19 has an average incubation period of three days, and lower frequency of tests also means less trouble for residents.