National Health Commission: No longer carry out COVID-19 nucleic acid testing on imported non-cold chain items
The latest research results show that under normal temperature conditions, the new coronavirus has a short survival time on the surface of most items, and is completely inactivated within 1 day.
On 17th Oct, the official website of the National Health and Medical Commission released the "Notice on Further Optimizing the Prevention and Control of the New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic of Imported Goods" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"), the "Notice" pointed out: "The latest research results show that under normal temperature conditions, the new crown virus is in large scales. The surface survival time of some items is short, and they are all inactivated within 1 day."
It is worth noting that the nucleic acid may also be positive after the inactivation of the new coronavirus. At the press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held on June 9, Xu Wenbo, director of the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cited "positive environmental samples" as an example. The detection of nucleic acid positive in environmental samples does not mean that there must be some environmental samples. Live viruses, whether they are dead viruses, live viruses, or inactivated new crown vaccines in environmental samples, all contain nucleic acids, and nucleic acid testing can be positive.
In view of the research results that the new coronavirus is completely inactivated on the surface of most items within 1 day under normal temperature conditions, the "Notice" pointed out that imported non-cold chain items that meet any of the following conditions are judged as low risk:
1. Imported non-cold chain items from countries (regions) with low risk of COVID-19;
2. All bulk bulk goods, including coal, ore, chemical raw materials, grain, feed, forage, logs and other imported non-cold chain items;
3. Imported non-cold-chain items for aircraft, ships, trains and automobiles loaded with imported items for more than 24 hours after leaving the port of shipment;
4. Imported non-cold chain items that are not in contact with loading and unloading personnel during loading and unloading;
5. Imported non-cold chain items that have undergone preventive disinfection.
The "Notice" makes it clear that imported non-cold-chain items that are judged to be low-risk will no longer be subject to new coronavirus nucleic acid testing and preventive disinfection.
The "Notice" also emphasizes that it is not allowed to introduce stricter control measures for imported non-cold chain items, and the joint prevention and control mechanism of various localities should strictly implement the epidemic prevention and control measures for imported non-cold chain items in accordance with the requirements of the relevant documents of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, and make adjustments as soon as possible. The regulations for the static storage of imported non-cold-chain items shall not be “added layer by layer”.
At the press conference of the State Council's joint prevention and control mechanism held on July 8, Li Zhengliang, deputy director of the Department of Health and Quarantine of the General Administration of Customs, also explained the prevention and control measures for imported non-cold chain items. He pointed out that after comprehensively judging the risk of contamination of imported non-cold chain items, all localities and industries should take preventive disinfection or release measures according to the existing division of labor and process classification to avoid repeated disinfection and increase unnecessary operation links.
"Layer-by-layer overweight" seriously affects the lives of ordinary people and social and economic activities, and is the focus of supervision in the current epidemic prevention and control work. On July 8, Mi Feng, spokesperson of the National Health and Health Commission and deputy director of the Publicity Department, said that we must continue to implement the "nine prohibitions" requirements, always tighten the string of epidemic prevention and control, and resolutely overcome lax prevention and control and "levels". The two tendencies of “adding weight by layer”, work hard on science, precision, and efficiency, and earnestly safeguard the interests of the people.