Minister warns against relaxing antivirus measures

Relaxing stringent COVID-19 containment measures in China could risk overwhelming its healthcare system and result in a surge in fatalities, Ma Xiaowei, China's health minister, said on Wednesday, as the number of new infections continued to climb this week, particularly in Shanghai and Jilin province.

Ma said in an article released on the website of the National Health Commission that for China, with a population of over 1.4 billion, even a contagious disease with very low rates of incidence and mortality could lead to a large number of infections and deaths.

"No national medical system in the world can hold out against such a big number," he said, adding that merely focusing on treatment and ignoring prevention efforts would cause serious damage to China's medical system.

Ma said China's dynamic zero-COVID strategy, featuring rapid and precise measures to stem new outbreaks as soon as possible, is the country's best weapon against the disease.

"Ensuring effective control of the novel coronavirus' spread is an important prerequisite for social and economic development. It will also provide the best environment for business operations and investment," he said.

Ma said that strict implementation of disease control work will bring inconvenience to some people in the short term, but the majority of areas are able to proceed with normal activities.

To cope with the fast-spreading Omicron strain and relieve the strain on local healthcare resources, Ma said it is vital to ramp up preparedness in terms of quarantine facilities and makeshift hospitals for mild infections.

Amid this round of outbreaks driven by the Omicron strain, Ma said local authorities have built new isolation sites, retrofitted existing facilities and set up quarantine complexes dedicated to receiving incoming travelers.

Eighty-two makeshift hospitals with about 116,000 beds had either been completed or are under construction in 46 cities across 19 provincial-level regions, according to Ma.

Meanwhile, he stressed that guaranteeing the provision of normal medical services has always been the commission's "biggest concern".

He said that medical institutions must not turn away patients in need, especially those in severe condition.

For patients receiving dialysis, radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment, as well as pregnant women and newborns, designated hospitals should ensure the continuation of related services. Access to medication should be guaranteed for the elderly and people with chronic diseases, he said.

So far, local authorities have taken comprehensive measures, such as setting up buffer zones at hospitals, and have launched online medical consultations and ensured swift access for patients in serious condition.

"With the full enforcement of disease-control measures and all-out efforts to curb the virus' spread while ensuring basic livelihoods, the tough battle against the virus will surely be won," he said.

The Chinese mainland reported 1,565 locally transmitted and confirmed infections and 7,090 asymptomatic cases on Tuesday, according to the health commission.

Shanghai, which entered a phased lockdown on Monday to facilitate a citywide screening campaign, registered a record high of nearly 6,000 COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, including 326 confirmed cases and 5,656 asymptomatic cases.

Wu Qianyu, an official with the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said during a news conference on Wednesday that daily new infections remain at a high level, putting enormous pressure on its medical institutions. To ease the strain, new quarantine facilities have been put into use and several more are currently being built.