Quarantine

North Korea has allowed citizens stranded abroad by its strict Covid curbs to return home, state media reported Sunday, as the country moves towards a full reopening after three years of pandemic isolation.

The country had sealed its borders since early 2020 to protect itself from Covid-19, which prevented even its own nationals from returning.

Despite the quarantine period of the COVID-19 pandemic ending a long time ago, an 82-year-old man living alone in a village house in the northern province of Trabzon has put himself under "voluntary quarantine," isolating himself without accepting visitors.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Asen Medzhidiev, will initiate changes to the Health Law to allow for the abolition of the mandatory isolation of persons sick with COVID-19, as well as the mandatory quarantine of the contacts of these persons.

On May 5, the World Health Organization lifted the Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to COVID-19.

An explosion of people infected with COVID-19 has been detected in the Home for Old People in Dobrich. The positives for coronavirus infection are among both users and staff.

The necessary anti-epidemic measures have been taken to limit the spread of the infection.

47 cases of the infection have been established so far. Four are positive from the staff.

Almost 90% of the residents of China's third most populous province are infected with COVID-19, AFP reported, citing a senior Chinese official.

It comes a day after China lifted travel restrictions requiring mandatory quarantine after returning from abroad and reports of heightened demand for tickets and congestion at borders.

In Tokyo's Asakusa tourist district, caricaturist Masashi Higashitani is dusting off his Chinese as he prepares for an influx of travelers after Beijing ends inbound quarantine rules.

"We used to say 'ni hao' all the time," he said with a laugh as he whipped up a portrait in minutes.

An MD from one of the best hospitals in Shanghai has pointed out that 70% of the city's population is likely to be infected after a large increase in cases in China, state media reported.
The surge came after tough restrictions were abruptly eased last month with little warning or preparation.

The ministries of health and education today decided that there will be no compulsory public health measures to protect against the spread of the current highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 at schools nationwide, which are scheduled to re-open on 12 September.

The duration of the isolation of patients with COVID-19, as well as the quarantine for contact persons, is shortened from today, August 18. Patients with laboratory-proven COVID-19 will be subject to isolation for a period of 7 days, instead of 10 days as before, and contact persons will be subject to a 5-day quarantine (so far, the quarantine lasted 7 days) , specified by the Ministry of Healt

Mandatory isolation for those sick with COVID-19 is officially reduced from 10 to 7 days. This was stated at a briefing before the Ministry of Health by Professor Angel Kunchev - Chief State Health Inspector.