Early 2022
The National Health Commission asks the country's medical institutions to beef up capacity of infectious diseases prevention and control.
May 2022
The State Council’s inter-agency task for COVID-19 response unveils a plan to handle massive outbreak of Omicron variant, stressing the need to enhance treatment capacity of hospitals.
June 28, 2022
According to the new protocol, the centralized quarantine period for close contacts and inbound travelers is cut from 14 days to seven. Sub-close contacts will undergo seven days of medical observation under home quarantine, instead of seven days of medical observation in isolation at designated sites.
July 25, 2022
China’s top drug regulator conditionally approves the first domestic COVID medication Azvudine.
Nov 10, 2022
Xi Jinping chairs a Party leadership meeting to hear a report on the COVID-19 response, and discuss and arrange 20 measures to further optimize the responses, calling for more science-based and targeted epidemic responses.
Nov 11, 2022
Under the new rules, categories of COVID-risk areas are adjusted to only high and low from the previous categories of high, medium and low to minimize the number of people under quarantine;
the centralized quarantine period for inbound travelers and close contacts is reduced from seven days to five;
the circuit breaker mechanism for inbound flights is canceled.
Nov 24, 2022
The authorities release a circular on work of preparing medical resources for COVID-19 treatment, highlighting efforts to redress unbalanced distribution of medical resources and prepare and train medical workers to brace for more COVID cases.
Nov 29, 2022
The authorities issue work plans to step up efforts to vaccinate the seniors and develop triage treatment protocol for vulnerable groups. By Dec 13, over 86 percent of those aged above 60 have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Dec 6, 2022
Xi Jinping presides over a top Party meeting, calling for steps to better coordinate epidemic control with socioeconomic development, and better coordinate development with security.
Dec 7, 2022
Under the “10 new rules”, a negative nucleic acid testing result is no longer required for domestic travel and entry to public venues, and centralized quarantine for COVID patients is made voluntary;
Local authorities are banned from rolling out lockdowns outside individual buildings or floors and blocking entrances.
Dec 15–16, 2022
Xi Jinping presides over the Central Economic Working Conference, stressing the need to optimize epidemic response based on the prevailing situation and with focus on the elderly and those with underlying diseases.
Dec 26, 2022
The Chinese term for COVID-19 is renamed from “novel coronavirus pneumonia” to “novel coronvirus infection” to more accurately reflect the disease' characteristics.
Dec 29, 2022
The top drug regulator conditionally approves oral antiviral pill Molnupiravir.
Jan 7, 2023
The new protocol highlights vaccination and personal protection, and improves the diagnostic criteria and warning indicators for severe and critical cases, which will help ensure that limited medical care resources can be concentrated on caring for the most vulnerable.
Jan 8, 2023
China downgrades the management of COVID-19 from Class A to Class B and removes it from quarantinable infectious disease management.
The further relaxation of COVID controls sees quarantine requirements and COVID-19 testing scrapped for cross-border travelers.
Jan 29, 2023
China has granted conditional approval to two homegrown COVID-19 oral pills, the National Medical Products Administration said on Sunday. One is Xiannuoxin and the other is VV116.
Feb 8, 2023
The National Healthcare Security Administration said on Wednesday that all domestic COVID-19 medicines have been added to the national medical reimbursement list.
Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Jan 20, taking over a nation hollowed out by a health crisis, an economic recession and a protracted political divide.
On Jan 6, Capitol Hill was stormed by Donald Trump's supporters as Congress convened a joint session to certify Biden's victory in the election, leaving five people dead.Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Jan 20, taking over a nation hollowed out by a health crisis, an economic recession and a protracted political divide.
On Jan 6, Capitol Hill was stormed by Donald Trump's supporters as Congress convened a joint session to certify Biden's victory in the election, leaving five people dead.
