Guangzhou optimises COVID policies

People without symptoms related to the COVID-19 pandemic, or working in non-risk posts and those without necessary needs in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, are called on not to take part in nucleic acid tests, as the city has optimised its prevention and control measures in its fight against the latest outbreak.

According to a notice issued on Sunday by the district authority of Haizhu, the hardest are hit by the latest spate of COVID-19 pandemic, only people working in high-risk posts such as express delivery, food take-out, hotel service, transportation, shopping malls, construction sites and supermarkets are required to take samplings.

People with traveling needs are also required to take part in tests at sampling stations across the city, the notice said.

Following the lifting of closed-off management measures across districts of the city, except high-risk areas, the local authority has adopted classified strategies of testing for different groups of people.

Based on the country's ninth COVID-19 control protocol, nucleic acid tests are carried out for people at risk posts and key industries at a specified frequency. Districts across the city will establish reasonable numbers of sampling spots, and families are encouraged to be tested by antigen kits.

Several cities in Guangdong have also adjusted sampling strategies, with nucleic tests being mainly targeting people in risk posts, or of key industrial groups.

In Zhuhai, local residents are required to pay to take tests if they are in necessary need of sampling, starting on Sunday, according to a notice issued by the local government.

Residents in Shenzhen will no longer be required to present nucleic acid test results when taking public transportation, with only the presence of a green health code, according to a notice issued by the local epidemic prevention and control headquarters on Saturday.