Wow! We thought this day would never come! Health Codes and Centralized Quarantine are going away.

The Office of the Municipal Epidemic Prevention and Control Work Leading Group issued the following measures to further optimize and adjust epidemic prevention and control:

1. Optimize and adjust the isolation management method for close contacts:

(a) For close contacts who meet home isolation conditions, the “5-day centralized isolation medical observation + 3-day home isolation” has became a “5-day home isolation”, or patients can voluntarily choose centralized isolation if they prefer.

(b) Close contacts who are currently under centralized isolation and meet the conditions for home isolation can return to their place of residence in a “point-to-point” closed loop for follow-up home isolation.

(c) Those who do not meet conditions for home isolation medical observation shall undergo centralized isolation.

2. Optimize and adjust the prevention and control measures for arrivals to Shanghai:

(a) Cancellation of the requirement that arrivals to Shanghai need to fill out info for the “Services for People Coming to Shanghai and Returning to Shanghai” and eliminating the need to report to the village committee and unit (or the hotel where they’re staying) in a timely manner after arriving.

(b) The “arrival inspection”, “three-day inspection” and “one nucleic acid test on the fifth day” will no longer be implemented after arriving in Shanghai; those who have not carried out the “arrival inspection” and “three-day inspection” will no longer be assigned a yellow health code.

(c) Those who have come to Shanghai within the last five days will no longer display a special mark on their health codes, and they will no longer be restricted from entering public areas.

These measures went into affect midnight of last night! The city will also continue to optimize and adjust relevant prevention and control measures in accordance with national policies and the epidemic situation.

The general public is requested to continue to use personal protection, reduce unnecessary gatherings, wear masks regularly when going out, take the initiative to scan the “site code”, get vaccinated, and be the responsible for their own health.

In further news, lockdowns will be confined to buildings and specific floors rather than entire neighborhoods and blocks of buildings, and high-risk areas will be released after five consecutive days of no cases.

Testing will still occur in high-risk areas, nursing homes, hospitals, and schools – but other establishments will no longer be required to check tests or codes! People will no longer be prevented from buying OTC medicines from pharmacies and online. It’s also forbidden to block fire passages, doors, and other exits.

This is fantastic news, but remember that the virus will continue to spread and infect others – so make sure to protect yourself and stay safe!