DSC_7620
www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-faces-tsunami-of-infec...
China faces ‘tsunami’ of infections if it drops COVID zero strategy, but WHO says it’s unsustainable to continue
A new study warned that lifting China’s strict zero-COVID strategy could lead to a “tsunami” of infections and as many as 1.6 million deaths, as the head of the WHO labeled the policy unsustainable.
Chinese and American scientists said in a peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Nature Medicine on Tuesday that without the zero-COVID policy in place, the Omicron variant would have had a catastrophic impact in China.
“Over a 6-month simulation period, such an epidemic is projected to cause 112.2 million symptomatic cases (79.58 per 1,000 individuals), 5.1 million hospital admissions (3.60 per 1,000 individuals), 2.7 million ICU admissions (1.89 per 1,000 individuals), and 1.6 million deaths (1.10 per 1,000 individuals), with a major wave occurring between May and July 2022,” they said in their paper.
“We find that the level of immunity induced by the March 2022 vaccination campaign would be insufficient to prevent an Omicron wave that would result in exceeding critical care capacity, with a projected intensive care unit peak demand of 15.6-times the existing capacity,” they added.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202212/01/WS6387fedba31057c47eba2...
Beijing optimizes nucleic acid testing rules
BEIJING -- From Wednesday, Beijing residents who do not engage in social activities are no longer required to participate in community nucleic acid screenings if they do not need to leave their homes, according to local authorities.
This includes groups such as homebound seniors, children and people working or studying from home, said Xu Hejian, a spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government, at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Chinese capital has been optimizing its COVID-19 control measures to minimize their impact on people's livelihoods. It has ordered closed management measures to be lifted in a timely manner for eligible residential complexes, and it has allowed virus-hit supermarkets to reopen after being closed for one day.
The city government has also banned the barricading of building gates and residential-complex entries in high-risk areas, ordering passages to remain clear for medical transportation, emergency escape and rescue requirements.
Beijing reported 1,282 local confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,240 local asymptomatic cases on Tuesday.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202212/01/WS6387e788a31057c47eba1...
China to further upgrade its virus control policy
China's COVID-19 prevention and control work is facing new situations and new tasks, with the weakening pathogenicity of Omicron, increasing uptake of vaccination and growing disease response experiences, Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan said on Wednesday.
During a meeting with top public health and medical experts in Beijing, she said China will "take small steps" to further upgrade its virus control policy and "keep moving", as well as continuing to improve its diagnostics, testing, treatment and quarantine measures.
She also stressed boosting mass immunization, especially among the elderly, accelerating preparations of drugs and medical resources, while ensuring a balance between disease control work and social and economic development.
Sun said that China has always put the safety and health of its people first during its three years' fight against the virus.
Over the course, China has released nine versions of disease prevention and control protocols and published a package of 20 modified measures, in accordance with the latest epidemic circumstances.
Its steady but agile action has effectively tackled uncertainties of the epidemic, she added.
During the meeting, eight senior experts made statements, namely Zhang Boli, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine expert; Shen Hongbing, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Wang Junzhi, a top expert on biological products and biochemical drugs; Liang Wannian, a member of the National Health Commission's disease response expert panel; Du Bin, intensive care specialist, and three experts with the China CDC.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202212/01/WS6388babca31057c47eba2...
COVID control measures optimized across China
▪ Closed-off management lifted
▪ Mass testing reduced
▪ Precise contact tracing
▪ Home isolation considered
▪ Less interruptions for medical services
www.globaltimes.cn/page/202211/1280827.shtml
Several districts in Guangzhou lift restrictions, allow qualifying close contacts to be quarantined at home
Several districts in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, issued notices on Wednesday to adjust the epidemic prevention and control measures, with Haizhu district allowing close contacts who meet the conditions to be quarantined at home, and Tianhe, Conghua, Panyu and Huadu districts lifting restrictions in temporary control zones.
Zhang Yi, deputy director and spokesperson for the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission, introduced the further optimization of prevention and control measures in various districts at a press conference on Wednesday. The measures include delineating high-risk areas scientifically and accurately, carrying out epidemiological investigations precisely and nucleic acid tests scientifically, preparing well for quarantine management of close contacts, and accelerating vaccination.
The official WeChat account of Haizhu district released a notice on Wednesday, saying that in order to comprehensively and accurately implement the ninth edition of China's COVID-19 control protocols and further optimize the epidemic prevention and control requirements of the 20 optimized measures, local prevention and control measures will be improved based on comprehensive research and judgment of the current epidemic situation.
In principle, the areas where the infected people live and where the risk of epidemic transmission is high will be designated as "high-risk areas." Generally, the areas will be designated by units or buildings, and shall not be expanded at will. Those that meet the conditions for lifting restrictions shall be lifted in time, the notice said.
Spatial and temporal accompaniments shall not be determined as close contacts. And those close contacts who meet the conditions could be quarantined at home, it added.
Nucleic acid testing will not be carried out on all but only on high-risk positions and key personnel, and the scope of nucleic acid testing shall not be expanded.
In addition, Tianhe, Conghua, and Huadu districts all announced on Wednesday that they would lift restrictions in temporary control zones.
The city reported 541 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6,454 new asymptomatic infections on Tuesday.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202211/30/WS6386aaf1a31057c47eba1...
Universities sending students home early
Some universities have allowed students to return home and started online learning amid the recent COVID-19 outbreaks.
Tsinghua University has arranged shuttle buses to take students who want to go home to major train stations and airports in Beijing from Tuesday to Sunday to ensure students' safety.
The free buses will not make any stops and students should book them online in advance, the university said.
The university also started hybrid teaching from Nov 26 with students choosing whether to go to the classroom for classes or take them online.
China Agricultural University has also arranged free buses to Beijing's train stations and airports.
The university has sealed off its campuses since Nov 24, after a pooled sample tested positive on the day.
Many teachers and faculty members have volunteered to live in student dormitories to help students get through the difficult times.
Wearing protective suits and equipment, the teachers help to distribute meals and other daily necessities to students.
Du Mingwei, an associate professor at the university, was one of the earliest volunteers.
"When the outbreak hit campuses and affected students' daily lives and studies, I felt very protective and wanted to do something for them," he said. As a Party member, it is an obligation to face difficulties head-on, he said.
Zhang Xuyang, a senior undergraduate student at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, returned to his hometown in Xi'an, Shaanxi province on Monday.
The university has allowed students to leave the campus since Nov 23 and he wanted to stay in school until he had taken his final exams.
However, as the outbreak became more serious in Beijing, he felt it was necessary for him to go home early, he said.
Many of his classmates have also returned to their homes, and only some who have signed up for the national postgraduate entrance exam have stayed to prepare for the test, Zhang said.
At Wuhan University, where clusters of COVID-19 infections have been reported, the university has sealed off several campuses since Nov 25.
More than 1,000 teachers and faculty have been mobilized in assisting students in fighting the outbreak, including distributing free meals every day to more than 50,000 students.
Starting from Tuesday, the university has lifted restrictions on dormitory buildings that have not reported any new COVID-19 cases for five days.
It will continue to make sure online teaching runs smoothly and final exams will be conducted online.
DSC_7620
www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-faces-tsunami-of-infec...
China faces ‘tsunami’ of infections if it drops COVID zero strategy, but WHO says it’s unsustainable to continue
A new study warned that lifting China’s strict zero-COVID strategy could lead to a “tsunami” of infections and as many as 1.6 million deaths, as the head of the WHO labeled the policy unsustainable.
Chinese and American scientists said in a peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Nature Medicine on Tuesday that without the zero-COVID policy in place, the Omicron variant would have had a catastrophic impact in China.
“Over a 6-month simulation period, such an epidemic is projected to cause 112.2 million symptomatic cases (79.58 per 1,000 individuals), 5.1 million hospital admissions (3.60 per 1,000 individuals), 2.7 million ICU admissions (1.89 per 1,000 individuals), and 1.6 million deaths (1.10 per 1,000 individuals), with a major wave occurring between May and July 2022,” they said in their paper.
“We find that the level of immunity induced by the March 2022 vaccination campaign would be insufficient to prevent an Omicron wave that would result in exceeding critical care capacity, with a projected intensive care unit peak demand of 15.6-times the existing capacity,” they added.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202212/01/WS6387fedba31057c47eba2...
Beijing optimizes nucleic acid testing rules
BEIJING -- From Wednesday, Beijing residents who do not engage in social activities are no longer required to participate in community nucleic acid screenings if they do not need to leave their homes, according to local authorities.
This includes groups such as homebound seniors, children and people working or studying from home, said Xu Hejian, a spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government, at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Chinese capital has been optimizing its COVID-19 control measures to minimize their impact on people's livelihoods. It has ordered closed management measures to be lifted in a timely manner for eligible residential complexes, and it has allowed virus-hit supermarkets to reopen after being closed for one day.
The city government has also banned the barricading of building gates and residential-complex entries in high-risk areas, ordering passages to remain clear for medical transportation, emergency escape and rescue requirements.
Beijing reported 1,282 local confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,240 local asymptomatic cases on Tuesday.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202212/01/WS6387e788a31057c47eba1...
China to further upgrade its virus control policy
China's COVID-19 prevention and control work is facing new situations and new tasks, with the weakening pathogenicity of Omicron, increasing uptake of vaccination and growing disease response experiences, Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan said on Wednesday.
During a meeting with top public health and medical experts in Beijing, she said China will "take small steps" to further upgrade its virus control policy and "keep moving", as well as continuing to improve its diagnostics, testing, treatment and quarantine measures.
She also stressed boosting mass immunization, especially among the elderly, accelerating preparations of drugs and medical resources, while ensuring a balance between disease control work and social and economic development.
Sun said that China has always put the safety and health of its people first during its three years' fight against the virus.
Over the course, China has released nine versions of disease prevention and control protocols and published a package of 20 modified measures, in accordance with the latest epidemic circumstances.
Its steady but agile action has effectively tackled uncertainties of the epidemic, she added.
During the meeting, eight senior experts made statements, namely Zhang Boli, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine expert; Shen Hongbing, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Wang Junzhi, a top expert on biological products and biochemical drugs; Liang Wannian, a member of the National Health Commission's disease response expert panel; Du Bin, intensive care specialist, and three experts with the China CDC.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202212/01/WS6388babca31057c47eba2...
COVID control measures optimized across China
▪ Closed-off management lifted
▪ Mass testing reduced
▪ Precise contact tracing
▪ Home isolation considered
▪ Less interruptions for medical services
www.globaltimes.cn/page/202211/1280827.shtml
Several districts in Guangzhou lift restrictions, allow qualifying close contacts to be quarantined at home
Several districts in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, issued notices on Wednesday to adjust the epidemic prevention and control measures, with Haizhu district allowing close contacts who meet the conditions to be quarantined at home, and Tianhe, Conghua, Panyu and Huadu districts lifting restrictions in temporary control zones.
Zhang Yi, deputy director and spokesperson for the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission, introduced the further optimization of prevention and control measures in various districts at a press conference on Wednesday. The measures include delineating high-risk areas scientifically and accurately, carrying out epidemiological investigations precisely and nucleic acid tests scientifically, preparing well for quarantine management of close contacts, and accelerating vaccination.
The official WeChat account of Haizhu district released a notice on Wednesday, saying that in order to comprehensively and accurately implement the ninth edition of China's COVID-19 control protocols and further optimize the epidemic prevention and control requirements of the 20 optimized measures, local prevention and control measures will be improved based on comprehensive research and judgment of the current epidemic situation.
In principle, the areas where the infected people live and where the risk of epidemic transmission is high will be designated as "high-risk areas." Generally, the areas will be designated by units or buildings, and shall not be expanded at will. Those that meet the conditions for lifting restrictions shall be lifted in time, the notice said.
Spatial and temporal accompaniments shall not be determined as close contacts. And those close contacts who meet the conditions could be quarantined at home, it added.
Nucleic acid testing will not be carried out on all but only on high-risk positions and key personnel, and the scope of nucleic acid testing shall not be expanded.
In addition, Tianhe, Conghua, and Huadu districts all announced on Wednesday that they would lift restrictions in temporary control zones.
The city reported 541 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6,454 new asymptomatic infections on Tuesday.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202211/30/WS6386aaf1a31057c47eba1...
Universities sending students home early
Some universities have allowed students to return home and started online learning amid the recent COVID-19 outbreaks.
Tsinghua University has arranged shuttle buses to take students who want to go home to major train stations and airports in Beijing from Tuesday to Sunday to ensure students' safety.
The free buses will not make any stops and students should book them online in advance, the university said.
The university also started hybrid teaching from Nov 26 with students choosing whether to go to the classroom for classes or take them online.
China Agricultural University has also arranged free buses to Beijing's train stations and airports.
The university has sealed off its campuses since Nov 24, after a pooled sample tested positive on the day.
Many teachers and faculty members have volunteered to live in student dormitories to help students get through the difficult times.
Wearing protective suits and equipment, the teachers help to distribute meals and other daily necessities to students.
Du Mingwei, an associate professor at the university, was one of the earliest volunteers.
"When the outbreak hit campuses and affected students' daily lives and studies, I felt very protective and wanted to do something for them," he said. As a Party member, it is an obligation to face difficulties head-on, he said.
Zhang Xuyang, a senior undergraduate student at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, returned to his hometown in Xi'an, Shaanxi province on Monday.
The university has allowed students to leave the campus since Nov 23 and he wanted to stay in school until he had taken his final exams.
However, as the outbreak became more serious in Beijing, he felt it was necessary for him to go home early, he said.
Many of his classmates have also returned to their homes, and only some who have signed up for the national postgraduate entrance exam have stayed to prepare for the test, Zhang said.
At Wuhan University, where clusters of COVID-19 infections have been reported, the university has sealed off several campuses since Nov 25.
More than 1,000 teachers and faculty have been mobilized in assisting students in fighting the outbreak, including distributing free meals every day to more than 50,000 students.
Starting from Tuesday, the university has lifted restrictions on dormitory buildings that have not reported any new COVID-19 cases for five days.
It will continue to make sure online teaching runs smoothly and final exams will be conducted online.