China to further ease coronavirus management as of Jan. 8

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - China's National Health Commission (NHC) announced Monday it is downgrading the coronavirus from a Class A infectious disease to Class B to further ease measures in the country.

COVID-19 has changed from a "novel coronavirus pneumonia" to a "novel coronavirus infection," according to a statement by the health commission.

China will also not impose a quarantine on those entering the country and COVID-19 patients as of Jan. 8, in accordance with the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China.

Meanwhile, the NHC said Sunday that “daily epidemic information will no longer be released.”

The decision comes as China contends with an alarming rise in infections, while the number of fatalities has also reportedly spiked.

Earlier this month, the NHC stopped releasing statistics for asymptomatic cases.

The world’s most populous nation also dumped its strict “zero-COVID” policy this month, following unrest and unprecedented protests in parts of the country.

It has shifted to a policy of treating confirmed patients rather than trying to curb the spread of the virus.

The NHC statement said relevant information will be released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention “for reference and research.”

The last update on the NHC website said 4,128 new infections and no deaths were reported Friday, bringing the total since December 2019 to 397,195 cases with 5,241 fatalities.

Many, however, are questioning the veracity of the recent updates, particularly due to overcrowding seen at cremation houses in Beijing and surrounding areas.