The Guangdong Provincial Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Headquarters has decided to adjust the provincial public health emergency level from Level I to Level II, based on the current COVID-19 situation in Guangdong, as of 9 am today (Feb 24). 

Despite this, all areas of the province are required to continue to implement graded prevention and control work in accordance with the requirements of each district and to boost social and economic development alongside epidemic prevention and control measures. 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, all provinces and municipalities in the Chinese mainland initiated a first-level response to the public health emergency, with Guangdong's being launched on Jan 23. 

As of press time, five provinces have adjusted their emergency response levels, namely Gansu, Liaoning, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Shanxi. Among them, Shanxi province adjusted its response level to level II, and the remaining four adjusted theirs to level Ⅲ.