Home quarantine allowed for asymptomatic, mild COVID cases
A wet market is crowded by customers again in Taiyuan in north China's Shanxi Province as China relaxes its COVID control measures.
China will allow home quarantine for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and infected persons in mild condition as part of a new batch of measures to further relax the nation's COVID control.
Asymptomatic infections and confirmed cases in mild condition will be quarantined at home in general if their apartments can meet quarantine requirements.
They can also undergo centrally quarantined observation or treatment voluntarily, the Joint Preventive and Control Mechanism of the State Council, China's Cabinet, announced on Wednesday.
During the home quarantine period, infected persons should receive two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, one each on the sixth and seventh days of quarantine.
If the CT, or cycle threshold, values of the nucleic acid tests are above 35, the quarantine can be lifted. If results worsen, the infected person will be transferred to a designated hospital promptly.
Close contacts of infected persons are also allowed to quarantine at home for five days rather than spend a week in central quarantine as was previously required.
Close contacts can choose central quarantine voluntarily. They will be dismissed if a PCR test returns negative on the fifth day.
The scale of high-risk areas is being narrowed down to residential buildings, floors and even single units. Designations cannot be expanded casually to entire communities, subdistricts or towns. Temporary lockdowns are prohibited.
No PCR or health code check is required for domestic travelers. No more testing on arrivals.
Apart from senior homes, welfare institutions, medical and child nurseries as well as schools and other places with special COVID requirements, no PCR or health code check is required.
Except for high-risk areas, people's movement should not been restricted, while work, production and business cannot be suspended. Blocking the fire exits or gates of buildings and communities is prohibited. People are allowed to go to hospitals or seek emergency services freely.
People are also free to buy fever, cough, antibiotic, cold and other non-prescription medicines, both online and in stores.
The State Council called to further ramp up vaccination among elderly population to protect the vulnerable from COVID-19.
