Source: The Beijing News
On June 30th, Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, posted a long article on his personal Weibo account. The full text is as follows:The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced on the afternoon of June 29 that the "star" mark on the communication travel card would be removed to support the efficient coordination of epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development and facilitate the travel of the general public. This is another optimization and adjustment of specific measures for COVID-19 prevention and control following the announcement by the National Health Commission on the 28th of the "COVID-19 Prevention and Control Plan (9th Edition)", which shortened the quarantine period for inbound travelers and close contacts from "14+7" to "7+3" days.1. How should we understand the adjustments to these prevention and control measures?The introduction of these new measures is neither a relaxation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures, nor does it mean the abandonment of the dynamic zero-COVID policy, nor does it imply that China will follow the so-called "lying flat" approach taken by Western countries in COVID-19 prevention and control. China's fundamental purpose of safeguarding people's lives and health in the prevention and control of COVID-19 has not changed. Neither has the general strategy of "preventing imported cases and domestic resurgence" and the general principle of "dynamic zero-COVID" remained unchanged. The adjustment of prevention and control measures by relevant national departments is based on the new situation of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the new situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, and the situation of prevention and control work, to further improve and optimize certain specific prevention and control measures. This is in line with the principle of scientific prevention and control, conforms to China's national conditions, and meets the actual needs of current COVID-19 prevention and control. It is a concrete manifestation of precisely implementing prevention and control strategies and measures.2. Will removing the "asterisk" mark pose a risk of a COVID-19 pandemic?The "star" mark on the communication travel card indicates that the smartphone user has visited a certain city or several cities with medium or high-risk areas at that time within the previous 14 days, but it does not mean that the user has actually visited these medium or high-risk areas. The marks are only for travel tips and are not associated with the user's personal health status.The "asterisk" on the communication travel card has played a certain role in bringing people who may be at risk of infection into the prevention and control scope to the greatest extent, especially during the special period when the epidemic is severe and complex.Removing the "asterisk" mark will not increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission as a result.The "star" mark merely indicates that someone comes from a city with high-risk or medium-risk areas, and it is not directly linked to the specific high-risk or medium-risk areas, that is, it cannot reflect the actual risk level of the person marked with an "star". With the continuous improvement of scientific prevention and control and precise policy implementation, the division of high-risk and medium-risk areas and the requirements for prevention and control management have become more refined and precise. The prompt role of the "star" mark on the communication travel card is difficult to play a role in the specific implementation of the new prevention and control strategy.3. Does the removal of the "asterisk" mean that people who are in quarantine need to be lifted?The "asterisk" marking and isolation are two distinct concepts, and there is no necessary connection between them. The quarantine measures taken for people within the country are mainly preventive measures taken for close contacts to prevent the possible spread of the epidemic.The removal of the "asterisk" mark has nothing to do with whether the isolation measures of the close contacts who are currently in isolation have been terminated.In some local areas at the grassroots level, there may be a phenomenon of overly strict prevention and control measures. Even those marked with an asterisk have been placed under quarantine. This approach is wrong and does not conform to the spirit of scientific prevention and control and precise policy implementation. If such a situation occurs, after the "asterisk" mark is removed, such incorrect practices should also be terminated accordingly.4. What positive impacts will the abolition of the "asterisk" bring to society and the people?The removal of the "star" mark is a concrete manifestation of implementing the clear requirements of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China that "the epidemic must be prevented, the economy must be stabilized, and development must be secure", and it is conducive to truly coordinating epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development.The removal of the "star" mark will play a positive role in promoting personnel mobility and invigorating economic development.The removal of the "asterisk" mark is conducive to the implementation of the main measures in the "COVID-19 Prevention and Control Plan (9th Edition)".The "asterisk" mark has been removed, and no excuse will be provided for any possible excessive epidemic prevention measures or even measures that make epidemic prevention "overriding everything".
