From Our
Correspondent
BEIJING: Chinese authorities on Monday deployed measures to guard against imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and a rebound in domestically transmitted cases in response to changes in the epidemic situation.
A leading group of China’s COVID-19 epidemic response convened a meeting on Monday, which was chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
The meeting called for proactive and orderly resumption of work and production while ensuring effective epidemic prevention and control.
“At present, the spread of domestically transmitted epidemic has been basically blocked, but the risks of sporadic cases and regional outbreaks still exist,” said a statement issued after the meeting, urging people to remain clear-headed as the global pandemic situation remains complex and severe.
A two-pronged prevention and control strategy should be implemented by focusing on both the prevention of imported cases and a rebound in indigenous cases so as to secure the hard-won achievements in the fight against COVID-19, according to the meeting.
The meeting required the outbreak epicenter province of Hubei and the city of Wuhan to continue treating severely ill patients, promptly admitting new cases and conducting epidemiological investigations.
Local authorities across the country should release epidemic information in an open and transparent manner without withholding truth, the statement said, calling for swift and targeted control measures once a case is identified. International exchange and cooperation should be strengthened to accurately and effectively curb cross-border COVID-19 transmission, according to the meeting.
The meeting called on provincial-level regions at low risk to restore economic and social order while ensuring scientific and precise epidemic containment.
These regions should adjust or call off preventive measures that are no longer commensurate with normal production and living order, the meeting noted.
Migrant workers should not be subjected to isolated quarantine before returning to work if they are not from the very few areas still at high or medium risk, according to the meeting.
Road traffic and public transportation in both urban and rural areas should be fully restored on the condition that the spread of the virus is under control, the meeting noted, urging a full reopening of logistics centers, freight transportation stations and express delivery services in these areas.
The meeting also demanded safe and orderly efforts to send personnel stranded in Hubei to return home, and Hubei workers to return work.
