Authorities in mainland China are preparing for the reopening of the border between the Guangdong province and Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday, citing several unnamed Chinese officials.
Furthermore, the National Health Commission of China contacted health authorities in Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangsu on Sunday, reportedly telling them to prepare for moving the status of COVID-19 down to a lower category. The status downgrade enables imposing less strict measures in order to prevent and control the disease. The name of the disease will also be changed from "novel coronavirus pneumonia" to "novel coronavirus infection," implying that Omicron variant infections are less lethal, according to a Fujian official who spoke to NHC.
The new measures are set to become effective on January 8, 2023.
