Several Chinese cities further refine measures of mass testing

▶ Constant exploration helps seek more scientific approach

Several Chinese cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Zhengzhou have further optimized their anti-COVID-19 measures with some places allowing residents without social activities to be free from mass testing. It is a move to take more targeted, science-based actions to curb flare-ups, as the country reported daily new cases of more than 30,000 in the past week.

Guangzhou’s Yuexiu and Liwan district authorities announced on Sunday night and early Monday morning that the elderly who have been staying at home, students who take daily online classes, employees who work from home and other people without community activities don’t need to participate in mass screening on Monday if they don’t need to go outside. It aims to reduce infection risks and save resources.

“It was the first time that I saw such an announcement, which from an epidemiological point of view is a very scientific approach that other regions can consider similar adoption,” Zhuang Shilihe, a Guangzhou-based medical expert who closely follows public health issues, told the Global Times on Monday.

Along with Guangzhou, some other cities are optimizing prevention measures in a more precise way. In Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, residents who live communities without positive cases in the latest five days don’t need to participate in the latest round of mass nucleic acid testing.

Zhengzhou in Central China’s Henan Province has scientifically classified high-risk regions and suspended centralized screening in other low-risk regions.

In Shanghai, free and normalized nucleic acid detection has been extended to December 31 this year. For the convenience of local residents, communities are required to arrange testing services at least twice a week for them.

These moves are hailed by experts and residents, who said that the constant exploration of local authorities and heated discussion of experts and the public can help China seek more a scientific approach to tackle increasing cases.

China released a circular on further optimizing COVID-19 responses, announcing 20 prevention and control measures on November 11. The authorities have stressed that optimizing and adjusting the measures does not mean loosening prevention and control, nor is it a lifting of COVID-19 restrictions or “lying flat” in fighting the virus.