China vows to stem COVID-19 cross-border spread

At a meeting on March 19 chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, decisions were made to further take accurate measures to prevent the import and export of COVID-19 cases, while promoting production resumption in an active and orderly way in accordance with the latest situations.

Premier Li is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and also the head of the central leading group of China's COVID-19 response.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the leading group, also attended the meeting.

According to those at the meeting, responding measures will be adapted to the epidemic’s changing situation. Medical treatment, prevention and control at the community level, and follow-up jobs in Central China’s Hubei province and Wuhan should be continued, while warding off any rebounds in other areas.

The epidemic abroad is spreading quickly and imported cases to China are increasing, which has brought constantly growing pressure for epidemic prevention and control, those at the meeting pointed out. China should enhance international coordination and corporation to implement effective measures of epidemic prevention and control on international flights. Special stops, lounge bridges, and aisles should be arranged for all flights from major epidemic regions abroad, and port quarantine should be done in specific regions to lower the risks of cross-infection to the utmost extent.

Measures, such as transfer, treatment, and quarantine, must be carried out on time for confirmed cases, suspected cases and close contacts to ensure zero spreading. Those who misreport information or conceal their illness shall be held accountable, according to laws.

Cross-border road passenger transport is suspended, and international waterway passenger management must be enhanced. All regions, especially major regions with the most imported epidemic cases, should ensure the supply of drugs, medical protection materials, and life-saving equipment and prepare designated hospitals and isolation wards in advance.

Risk warnings should be given to people who cross borders to reduce unnecessary outbound trips. Also, all inbound and outbound tourism business should be suspended. Guidance and support for Chinese citizens abroad should be enhanced to guarantee their safety and health. Assistance will continue to be provided to other countries to fight the epidemic by sharing experiences and offering convenience for them in purchasing medical supplies from China.

According to those at the meeting, emergency response levels for COVID-19 have been lowered in most provinces, with many regions already at low risk, hence production and living orders should come back to in an all-round way.

Local authorities should sum up the experience of preventing new infections while resuming production, in an effort to improve targeted epidemic control measures and step up operation recovery rates.

Guidelines on epidemic control and production resumption should come out early as possible, and modifications should be made in accordance with changing situations.

Necessary health certificates for the flow of staff in low-risk regions should be mutually recognized nationwide, with obstacles no longer set.

Quarantines are no longer necessary for people from low-risk regions before starting jobs. Meanwhile, emergency disposal competence should be maintained in a bid to take timely action if any COVID-19 cases are identified. Diagnoses, reports, quarantines, and treatments for COVID-19 cases should be done as soon as possible, with clustering infections deterred.

Members of the leading team, including Ding Xuexiang, Huang Kunming, Cai Qi, Wang Yi, Xiao Jie, and Zhao Kezhi, attended the meeting.