Recently, Jiangxi province has issued the Guidelines on Establishing Regular Nucleic Acid Test Mechanism. Given the current epidemic situation and characteristics of transmission of the Covid-19 virus, the regular nucleic acid test mechanism will be established. The mechanism includes details and regulations about how the public will take regular nucleic acid tests, the testing frequency for the high-risk groups, the locations of testing sites and the functions of the test results. The mechanism aims to discover potential cases in time, to cut off the potential transmission chains, to minimize the cost and maximize the speed to consolidate the achievements of epidemic prevention and control. Please note that the regular nuclic acid test is slightly different from the previous tests.
Why to hold regular nucleic acid test?
A: Public places are always crowded. Infected cases entering the public places will increase the rates of community transmission. As an important diagnostic criteria, negative or positive nucleic acid test is usually used to indicate the presence or absence of infection. Through scanning health code at public places, we would discover and deal with the cases in time. It’s extremely key to make every possible effort to curb the spread of the disease. Meanwhile, research shows that after the mass test, some infected cases may be tested false negative before their symptoms begin, which leads to the delay in discovering infected cases. Therefore, to control the sources of infection and cut off the channels of transmission, consecutive nucleic acid tests are the priority for current epidemic prevention and control.
How is the regular nucleic acid test for the public carried out?
A: Currently, for employees in non key posts, non special industries, non public places and non exposed service industries, nucleic acid test will be done once in three days. Through the tests, we would discover the potential infected cases in time while test results can be used as the criteria for the orderly flow of the public.
How to define the testing frequency for the high-risk groups?
A: For key groups such as staffs working at medical facilities, prisons and detention houses, nursing home workers, quarantine and inspections staffs at ports and borders,cold-chain employees, nucleic acid test will be done once a day. For employees in fields with exposure risks such as industrial enterprises (including building sites), culture and tourism, hotels, public transportation, retail markets, pharmacies, entertainment places, barbers and beauty salons, food-delivery services, farmers’ markets, wholesale markets, housekeeping services, public janitors, security staffs, catering companies, nucleic acid test will be done once in two days.
How to locate the testing sites?
A: In accordance with the convenience principle of “arrival by walk within 15 minutes and waiting in line within 30 minutes”, the testing sites shall be appropriately arranged in rural areas and communities. In the meantime, 24-hour free testing sites shall be set in “three stations, one airport and one exit” , i.e. railway station, passenger station, subway station, airport and expressway exit. In other areas, according to the population density and functional orientation, the testing sites shall be reasonably arranged in combination of “fixed sites plus convenient and mobile sites”, so as to to facilitate the test with convenience and high efficiency.
What if I do not participate in the regular nucleic acid test?
A: For those who have failed to take daily test, every two-day or three-day test as required, the health code shall turn gray as reminding. Only if the nucleic acid test result shows negative, the “gray code” will automatically return to the green one. For the “gray code” owner, the health code shall turn yellow if he or she hasn’t taken the nucleic acid test within 12 hours. The yellow-code owners shall be restricted from entering public places (except for emergency medical treatment in medical and health institutions) and prohibited to take public transportation such as buses, online hailing vehicles, taxis and subways. Those who disobey the management shall be investigated for relevant responsibilities in accordance with the law.
When will the regular nucleic acid test start and finish?
A: At present, the specific enforcement measures or rules are still underway in the manner of matter-of-fact by localities and relevant departments in order to ensure the enforcement of the current regular nucleic acid test mechanism. The specific arrangements are subject to the local official announcements. The provincial headquarters will dynamically adjust the nucleic acid test strategy according to the epidemic prevention and control situation.
