Pandemic guidelines for Spring Festival will be specific and targeted

Do we still need to stay put for the 2022 Spring Festival?

The policy should be based on risk analyses in different regions across the country instead of a "one size fitting all" policy, Liang Wannian, chief of a pandemic response team from the joint prevention and control mechanism of China's State Council, said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.

Strict prevention and control policies should continue to be implemented in some key regions and for key people such as the elderly and people with chronic diseases. Those people are advised to reduce unnecessary trips and gatherings.

Strict control measures should be kept in high and middle-risk areas, ports, borders and the capital which will hold major events like the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Liang added.

Other regions should consider their levels of risk to carry out precise and specific policies during the Spring Festival holidays.

Liang said government officials should take risks of both imported and local cases into consideration when assessing risk levels and issue clear guidelines for the public. Medical experts should play a good role.

The country's pandemic control during winter and spring should always adhere to the "dynamic zero case policy", minimizing the impact on people's work and life, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission at the conference.

The week long Spring Festival holiday begins on January 31, the Lunar New Year's Eve, and the 40-day travel rush, or simply chunyun, starts from January 17.