The National Health Commission responded to whether to celebrate the festival on the spot: arrange by group and region, and do not make a one-size-fits-all approach

New Year's Day and the Spring Festival are approaching, and some places have introduced measures for celebrating the New Year on the spot, how should the epidemic prevention and control during the festival be arranged? Liang Wannian, head of the expert group of the National Health Commission's Leading Group for Epidemic Response and Handling, said at a press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on December 18 that population mobility will indeed bring risks to the prevention and control of the epidemic, and whether to celebrate the New Year on the spot needs to be arranged by group and region, and it is necessary to avoid one-size-fits-all.

On December 17, staff from sanxue street in Baishulin Street, Beilin District, Xi'an City, helped citizens who were about to undergo nucleic acid testing scan codes. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Xiao

Population movement during the Spring Festival comes with risks

Liang Wannian said that the flow of people during the New Year's Day and Spring Festival will bring risks, and how to deal with this risk needs to be judged from three aspects. From the perspective of the principle of prevention and control, one is the infectivity and pathogenicity of the disease itself; the second is the ability of the social system to discover and control infectious diseases; and the third is the degree of social public health measures, including the interventions taken by the government, society and individuals.

Liang Wannian said that what kind of prevention and control measures to take during the New Year's Day Spring Festival should consider several situations: first, it is necessary to recognize that population movements bring risks; second, winter itself is a high incidence season for respiratory infectious diseases; third, China itself has a certain favorable factor, the national vaccination has reached a certain level, the local epidemic is basically triggered by overseas imports, as long as the foreign defense imports are done well, the local area is basically safe. In addition, the public has now developed a good and healthy lifestyle, which is a favorable factor for epidemic prevention.

People in high-risk positions try to avoid travel

For whether to "celebrate the New Year in place"? Liang Wannian said that based on risk research and judgment, relevant policies should be introduced according to local conditions, and one-size-fits-all cannot be applied. First of all, it is necessary to divide into categories, for key groups, it is necessary to strictly implement travel restriction measures; for high-risk groups, chronic disease patients, the elderly, pregnant women and other groups, minimize unnecessary travel and gathering. If other personnel travel, they should advocate protection.

He Qinghua, a first-level inspector of the Disease Control Bureau of the National Health Commission, further explained that because high-risk posts may be exposed to contaminated items, the environment and potentially infected people during work, if the protection is not in place, the risk of infection is relatively high.

According to reports, recently, some parts of China have been infected by air ports, land ports engaged in imported goods workers, and staff at centralized isolation points, and such infections have also led to community transmission in some areas.

"Therefore, for high-risk workers who come into contact with inbound personnel and goods at land, air and water transport ports and centralized isolation sites, fever clinics in designated medical institutions, and staff of imported cold chain food processing enterprises, we must strictly implement the prevention and control requirements such as clear bottom numbers, fixed personnel, standardized protection, closed loops, high-frequency nucleic acid testing, and health monitoring." He Qinghua said.

He Qinghua said that if the above-mentioned high-risk post staff do want to travel, then they must meet three conditions: one is to leave the post for at least 14 days; the second is to hold a 48-hour negative nucleic acid test certificate; and the third is to report to the unit.

Prevention and control measures shall be adopted in different regions

Liang Wannian also said that different measures should also be taken for different regions. "For example, Beijing is about to hold major events, and it should continue to maintain relatively strict control measures." Liang Wannian said.

He Qinghua, a first-level inspector of the Disease Control Bureau of the National Health Commission, said that the prevention and control of the epidemic during the "two festivals" this year must be highly valued, and there must be no slightest paralysis. "On the basis of summarizing the experience of epidemic prevention and control during the 'two festivals' period in 2021, all measures should be more scientific and accurate, and the safe and orderly flow of personnel should be strengthened."

He Qinghua introduced that medium- and high-risk areas and the county (city, district, banner) where they are located strictly restrict travel, and those who perform specific official duties and ensure production, life and transportation really need to travel, and must hold a negative nucleic acid test certificate within 48 hours after approval by the local joint prevention and control mechanism.

In addition, personnel from other counties (cities, districts, banners) in the city where the medium- and high-risk areas are located do not need to travel, and those who really need to travel must hold a negative nucleic acid test certificate within 48 hours.

He Qinghua said that travel to medium- and high-risk areas and the county (city, district, flag) will be strictly restricted, and it is not necessary to go to other counties (cities, districts, flags) in the city where the medium- and high-risk areas are located.

On December 11, the State Council also issued a notice requiring that from the date when each province (autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government) determines the scope of port cities and announces it to March 15, 2022, personnel leaving land border port cities (except those connected to Ports of Hong Kong and Macao) must hold a negative nucleic acid test certificate within 48 hours, and personnel going to land border port cities must undergo nucleic acid testing at least once after arrival.

"Other regions should do a good job in risk assessment, comprehensively consider the level of risk, according to the level of population immunity, the epidemic situation put forward a strong, accurate, and temperature related policies, and avoid 'one size fits all'," Liang Wannian said, to accurately balance the relationship between epidemic prevention and control and the Spring Festival reunion, which is also a test of the governance ability of governments at all levels.

Written by: Nandu reporter Wu Bin from Beijing