For close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases, the requirement of “7-day centralized quarantine + 3-day health monitoring at home” will be reduced to “5-day centralized quarantine + 3-day home isolation.” Close contacts should be assigned a health status code and must not leave their home during the isolation period. Nucleic acid testing should be performed on Days 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the centralized quarantine period, as well as Days 1 and 3 of the home isolation period.

Confirmed cases' close contacts should be identified in a timely and accurate fashion. Close contacts of close contacts will no longer be traced.

For individuals that have traveled from high-risk areas, the requirement of “7-day centralized quarantine” will be reduced to “7-day home isolation.” During isolation, people from high-risk areas should be assigned a health status code and must not leave their home. Nucleic acid testing should be performed on Days 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the home isolation period.

The regional classifications will be adjusted from “high, medium, and low risk” to “high and low risk” to minimize the number of restricted persons. In principle, the places in which confirmed cases live, work, and visit frequently are designated as high-risk areas. High-risk areas are generally delineated by units and buildings, the scope of which may not be expanded at will. Areas in the county, city, or district other than the high-risk areas are delineated as low-risk areas. If no new infections are reported in a high-risk area for 5 consecutive days, it should be downgraded to a low-risk area. High-risk areas that meet the requirements for lifting risk control should be lifted in a timely manner.

For individuals who have finished working in high-risk positions, the requirement of “7-day centralized quarantine or 7-day home isolation” is reduced to “5-day health monitoring at home,” and isolated personnel will be assigned a health status code. Nucleic acid testing should be performed on Days 1, 3, and 5 of home isolation. Leaving the monitoring location should be avoided as much as possible; in cases in which leaving is necessary, individuals should avoid crowded public places and public transit.

Areas without outbreaks should perform nucleic acid testing for high-risk occupations and high-risk personnel in accordance with the scope defined in the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control protocol (Version 9) [1], which should not be expanded at will. In general, mass nucleic acid testing should no longer be organized at the level of administrative areas, but only when the origin of infection and the chain of transmission are unknown, or if the community has a prolonged transmission time, and so on. The requirement for nucleic acid testing should be further regulated to avoid multiple testing.

The “circuit breaker” mechanism for inbound flights will be lifted, and the requirement of two negative nucleic acid test results within 48 h before boarding will be reduced to one negative nucleic acid test result within 48 h before boarding.

International inbound business people and sports teams should be transferred point-to-point to the isolation-free closed-loop management area (“closed-loop bubble”) for business, training, and competition activities. During this time, the individuals involved will be assigned health status codes and will be restricted from leaving the management area. Personnel from China are required to receive a booster vaccine before entering the management area, and are subject to isolation or health monitoring afterward on the basis of the assessed level of risk.

International inbound personnel with nucleic acid test results showing a cycle threshold (Ct) value < 35 will be confirmed as COVID-positive. Individuals with nucleic acid test results with a Ct value of 35–40 will be subjected to risk assessment at the end of quarantine; if considered previously infected, two nucleic acid tests within 3 days of home quarantine are required.

For international inbound personnel, the requirement of “7-day centralized quarantine + 3-day home health monitoring” will be reduced to “5-day period of centralized quarantine + 3-day period of home isolation,” during which the individuals should be assigned a health status code and must not leave their home. After completing quarantine at the first point of entry, no quarantine shall be enforced at other destinations. Nucleic acid testing should be performed on Days 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the centralized quarantine period, as well as Days 1 and 3 of the home isolation period.

Strengthen the preparedness of medical resources. A graded treatment plan should be developed to clarify admission criteria for infected persons of different clinical severity. Plans for medical institutions in response to hospital outbreak or infection among healthcare professionals should also be outlined. Professional training of medical staff should be arranged. Each medical institution should increase the number of beds for inpatient and critical care to enhance the treatment capacity.

Promote vaccination and improve vaccine booster coverage, especially for the elderly population. Accelerate the development of monovalent or multivalent vaccines with broad-spectrum protection, as well as their regulatory approval.

Stockpile COVID-19 treatment-related medications. Ensure good supply reserves for those at risk of serious morbidity and the older people. Stock up on effective Chinese medicine prescriptions. Prepare an adequate supply of emergency medications and medical equipment.

Enhance the protection of critical institutions and vulnerable populations. Collect data on the characteristics of older people, patients with underlying conditions, pregnant women, and hemodialysis patients, then implement health protection programs accordingly. Pay specific attention to the management of facilities that house vulnerable populations, such as nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, and orphanages.

To limit the spread of the pandemic and speed up the emergency response, surveillance and early warning systems should be built through multiple channels and a multipoint trigger mechanism should be further developed. People traveling across provinces should be subjected to a “test upon arrival.” Infected people must be reported in line with the legislation; epidemiological investigations and control of people at risk must be carried out in a timely fashion. Early discovery, reporting, isolation, and treatment can help to prevent the disease from becoming widespread and prolonged.

Relevant departments in localities are required to rectify oversimplified or one-size-fits-all approaches and excessive policy steps taken during pandemic control. Local authorities are responsible for implementing the national prevention and control policy. Unauthorized school closures, business suspensions, traffic blockades, arbitrary or lengthy lockdowns, and clinic closures should be strictly prohibited. Incidences with serious consequences will be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law. The Health Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Transportation, and other departments shall supervise and guide the relevant industry.

Quarantined personnel should be provided with good services and logistical support. The local authorities should establish working groups and make timely plans to ensure the supply and distribution of essential goods. The basic information and needs of the residents, especially older people living alone, children in distress, pregnant women, and people with basic diseases, should be registered. Courier delivery service in restricted areas should function to guarantee the supply of necessities. Local administrations should guide the community to establish direct channels with medical institutions and pharmacies, and the community should have designated vehicles for transfer and other services. Medical institutions are responsible for the timely treatment of acute and critical cases, and shall not refuse to provide medical treatment for any reason. Mental health services should be provided to quarantined persons, particularly older people, the sick and disabled, and other vulnerable groups.

Refined pandemic prevention and control measures should be applied on campus. Schools and local administrations should work in concert to prioritize quarantine transit, nucleic acid testing, contact tracing investigations, environmental disinfection, and supply of essential goods on campus. All schools should strictly implement the prevention and control measures specified by the national government and education departments; additional control measures without authorization are strictly prohibited. The Ministry of Education and education departments at all levels should organize working groups to investigate outstanding issues such as arbitrary campus closures, excessively long closures, prolonged absence of offline teaching, lack of essential goods, and inconsistent measures applied for teachers, students, and employees. Neither ineffective nor excessive pandemic control measures will be allowed. Education departments at all levels shall establish grievance mechanisms and hotlines for urgent demands of teachers and students, and provide timely responses and feedback.

Prevention and control measures for enterprises and industrial parks. The local authorities should organize working groups to enforce pandemic control measures on the basis of the situation of enterprises (including private enterprises) and industrial parks under their management. Leadership of enterprises and industrial parks, employee groups, and front-line workers should be aware of their responsibilities in pandemic prevention and control. Employees of enterprises are subject to strict health status checks before returning to work. Special attention should be given to the life, health, and work shifts of the workforce in critical professions and positions. Third-party outsourced employees and other personnel entering or leaving the industrial park shall be strictly monitored. During the pandemic, efforts should be made to ensure the smooth flow of logistics. The administration should not request unauthorized shutdown of enterprises that are critical to the overall industrial chain and the supply of livelihood essentials. The implementation of white-listing mechanisms should be ensured.

Individuals stranded by the pandemic should be provided with proper arrangements. Places in which outbreaks occur should undertake timely and precise delineation of risk areas and allow people who are not in high-risk areas to leave in an orderly way with proper protection. Customized evacuation plans should be designed in places with larger numbers of stranded people. Communication and collaboration between concerned authorities at departure and destination places should be strengthened, and transportation assistance should be provided by the transportation departments, civil aviation, and national railways. Destinations should not refuse to accept the return of stranded people, and should manage the returning people in accordance with the regulations.