China will reopen borders and end quarantine for foreigners from January 8

26 (EUROPA PRESS)

The Chinese government has announced this Monday that as of January 8 it will reopen its borders and eliminate the need for quarantine in a new step in the relaxation of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, as reported by the Chinese newspaper ‘South China Morning Post’ citing up to three sources.

Responsible for the health authorities of the provinces of Canton, Fujian and Jiangsu have confirmed that the National Health Commission (CNS) informed them this Sunday of the lowering of the coronavirus management level to category B, which implies the reopening.

This category B implies “necessary treatment and measures to prevent the spread” of the disease. According to the sources consulted by the newspaper, aligned with the official position of the Chinese government, this implies the end of the quarantines for travelers arriving in China.

The decision confirms the previous indications that pointed to a relaxation of the restrictions, such as the end of the mandatory nature of the PCR test for entry into the country or the words of Vice Prime Minister Sun Chunlan, responsible for the response to COVID-19. , who asked local authorities to focus more on treatment than on avoiding contagion.

The CNS has also ceased this Sunday to report on the new daily cases of coronavirus and has handed over the baton to a disease control agency with lesser powers and responsible for other less dangerous ailments.

A senior hospital official in Xiamen, Fujian province, explained that the CNS no longer refers to COVID-19 as “novel coronavirus pneumonia” but as “novel coronavirus infection”.

“The change in the name is subtle, but important,” according to the person in charge of the hospital. “I think it is the official recognition of the evident changes in the symptoms of infection by the less deadly omicron variant. It does not always cause symptoms similar to pneumonia,” he explained to the ‘SCMP’.

Category A also enabled the authorities to impose the harshest restrictions such as confinements, isolation or quarantines. It also allowed the use of security forces in disease control work.

The opening measure has even more meaning due to the recent increase in coronavirus cases in the country that raised fears of the reimposition of the so-called zero tolerance policy with the disease that provoked protests and response.

China was the country where COVID-19 was first detected and has so far officially confirmed 4.4 million cases and 16,764 deaths. In the last 28 days, 815,995 cases and 787 deaths related to the disease have been reported.