Beijing further lowers virus emergency response

BEIJING: Beijing will lower its emergency response to the novel coronavirus epidemic from the second level to the third one starting Saturday, a local official announced Friday.
Prevention and control measures will be adjusted accordingly. The Chinese capital lowered its emergency response to COVID-19 from the top level to level II on April 30. It’s pertinent to mention here that Chinese mainland has reported no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Thursday, according to the health ministry. Five imported cases, including four in Shanghai and one in Sichuan Province, were reported on the mainland, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
No deaths related to the disease or new suspected cases were reported, according to the commission.
On Thursday, eight people were discharged from hospital after recovery, while the number of severe cases declined by one to only one.
As of Thursday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83,027, including 66 patients who were still being treated, and 78,327 people who had been discharged after recovery.
Altogether 4,634 people had died of the disease, the commission said.
By Thursday, the mainland had reported a total of 1,768 imported cases. Of the cases, 1,707 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 61 remained hospitalized, with no one in severe conditions. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.
The commission said there were two imported suspected cases on Thursday.
According to the commission, 4,117 close contacts were still under medical observation after 508 people were discharged from medical observation Thursday. Also on Thursday, three new asymptomatic cases were reported on the mainland. One imported case was re-categorized as confirmed case, and 31 asymptomatic cases were discharged from medical observation. – Agencies