Forthreeyears,governmenthasactedonscienceinvirusprevention,control

China"sdecisionstocutmanylong-standingCOVID-19restrictionsinNovemberanddowngradethemanagementofthevirusfromJan8wereconsistentwithitspreviousactionsinrefiningCOVID-19responsemeasurestohandleemergingchallenges,accordingtoexperts.

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OnNov11,theStateCouncil"sJointPreventionandControlMechanism,thecountry"sCOVID-19controltaskforce,published20measuresonoptimizingepidemiccontrol.

Theregulatorychanges—includingabandoningthecircuitbreakermechanismforinboundflightsandfurthershorteningthetimethatinternationalarrivalshadtospendatisolationhotels—kick-startedacascadeofchanges.Beforetheendoftheyear,ChinahadstoppedtracingCOVID-19casesandallowedpatientstoisolateathome.

Testingrequirementswerecutforeverydayscenarios,suchastakingthesubway,diningatrestaurantsandtravelingoutoftown.Fitnessclubs,karaokebarsandotherentertainmentvenueswereallowedtoresumebusiness.FromJan8,inboundtravelerswillnolongerhavetoundergoquarantineortakeanucleicacidtestuponarrival.

SomeWesternmediaoutletshavecalledthereformsan"abruptanddramatic"turnabout.

However,theaccusations"ignoredthefactthatChinahaschangeditsresponsestrategybasedonacomprehensiveassessmentofthemutationofthevirus,theCOVIDsituationandongoingresponseefforts",XinhuaNewsAgencysaidinacommentaryonDec30.

DuringthefightagainstCOVID-19,ChinahaseffectivelycoordinateditsCOVIDresponsewitheconomicandsocialdevelopment,andrefinedtheresponsepolicyinlightoftheevolvingsituation,itsaid.

Atmultiplenewsconferencesandonotheroccasions,China"stophealthofficialsandexpertshavemaintainedthatitsCOVIDresponsehadbeenmodifiedconstantlyeversincetheoutsetofthepandemic.

AtameetingwithhealthofficialsonNov11,Vice-PremierSunChunlandescribedtherolloutofthe20measuresasoneofmany"smallbutnon-stopsteps"takenovertheyearstooptimizeCOVIDcontrol.ThephrasehassincebeenemployedbymanyhealthofficialstoexplainthedynamicsofhowChina"sCOVIDstrategyevolved.

MultiplechangestoCOVIDcontrolrulesinashortperiod—aswerethecaseintherecentadjustments-werenotuncommon.SinceFeb2020,Chinahasrolledoutatotalofnineeditionsofepidemiccontrolplanstoguidefrontlineworkers.However,thefirstsixofthemwerepublishedintandeminslightlymorethanamonthbetweenFeb1andMarch7in2020,whenunderstandingoftheviruswasstillmurkyandfewclinicaldatawereavailable.Theupdatesslowedascontrolexpertiseaccumulated.TheseventheditionwasnotpublisheduntilSeptember,2020.

TheeighthandthenintheditionscameinMay,2021,andJuneoflastyear,respectively.

ABeijingNewsreportanalyzingtheevolutionofthecountry"scontrolstrategiessaidchangestothelastfeweditionsoftheplanweremorereflectiveoftheexperienceandlessonsthecontroltaskforcelearnedontheground.Forexample,theeightheditionrampedupscrutinyoverfreightaftermoredomesticoutbreaksweretracedbacktoworkersincold-chainlogistics.Theninth,however,placedmoreemphasisonminimizingtheduration,costandscaleoflockdownsandmadecontrolmoreprecise,astheever-elusiveOmicronsubvariantstriggeredmorefrequentandlengthierrestrictions.

Thecontinuousrefiningofthecontrolmethodologieshashelpedthecountry"effectivelyrespondtofiveglobalCOVIDwavesandavoidwidespreadinfectionswiththeoriginalstrainandtheDeltavariant,whicharerelativelymorepathogenicthantheothervariants",Xinhuasaid.

Chinahasworkedoverthepastthreeyearstobolstertheinoculationrate,includingamongvulnerablegroupssuchasolderadults.Officialdatashowedthataround239.4million,or90.6percent,ofpeopleaged60andolderhadreceivedatleastoneshotbyNov28.About228.1million,or86.4percenthadreceivedtwoshotsandabout181.5millionhadreceivedaboostershot.Toreducetheimpactofhavingfewerrestrictionsontheelderly,Chinaisworkingtoraisethegroup"sinoculationratefurther.Measuresincluding"expresschannels"fortheelderlyhavebeenadoptedindifferentplaces.

Xinhuasaidinsteadof"squanderingthetime"assomeWesternmediareported,ChinainthepastthreeyearshasdevelopedeffectiveCOVID-19diagnosisandtreatmentexpertiseandmedicines,andkeptimprovingitscapacitiesintermsofmedicaltreatment,pathogendetectionandepidemiologicalinvestigation.

Insyncwiththecurrentsituation,Chinaisshoringuptheoutputofmedicine,masks,vaccinesandothermedicalsupplies.Ithasalsoacceleratedeffortstoexpandthecapacityoffeverclinicsandintensivecareunitsatmedicalinstitutions.

Inarecentinterview,LiangWannian,headoftheCOVID-19responseexpertpaneloftheNationalHealthCommission,voicedhisdisagreementoverdefiningthenewadjustmentas"laissez-faire".HesaidChinesepeoplearefacinguptotheepidemictogetherwiththegovernment.

lilei@chinadaily.com.cn