China timely shares COVID-19 information, advances int'l cooperation

.China on Monday released a detailed timeline of its response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), chronicling the main facts and measures it has taken in the global joint anti-virus efforts.

The document, titled "Timeline of China releasing information on COVID-19 and advancing international cooperation on epidemic response," stressed China's timeliness, openness and transparency in notifying people at home and abroad in its fight against the coronavirus.

The timeline, recording major events from late December 2019 to March 2020, offered a glimpse of how China has timely released information, shared experience, and advanced international exchanges and cooperation.

The COVID-19 epidemic, a major public health emergency, has spread the fastest, caused the most extensive infections and been the hardest to contain since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the document said.

With joint efforts of the whole nation, the positive trend in preventing and controlling the epidemic has been constantly consolidated and expanded in China, and the restoration of normal production and daily life has been quickened, according to the timeline.

The timeline noted a "formidable challenge" to global public health security as the pandemic has been spreading rapidly in the world.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 has affected more than 200 countries and regions with over 1.13 million confirmed cases by Sunday.

"Virus knows no national borders, and the epidemic distinguishes no races," the document said, adding only with solidarity and by cooperation can the international community prevail over the pandemic and safeguard the common homeland of humanity.

By upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, China has been timely releasing information on COVID-19 since the onset of the epidemic in an open, transparent and responsible manner, unreservedly sharing with the WHO and the international community its experience in epidemic response and medical treatment, and strengthening cooperation on scientific research, said the document.

It has also provided assistance to all parties to the best of its ability, according to the document.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gives a speech via video during a virtual Briefing on China's Experience on COVID-19 Response in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2020. [Photo/National Health Commission/Xinhua]

Informing public at home

According to the timeline, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission sent out an urgent notification to medical institutions under its jurisdiction on Dec. 30, 2019, about an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in the city.

Upon the report of the outbreak, the National Health Commission (NHC) dispatched a working group and an expert team to Wuhan to guide epidemic response and conduct on-site investigations.

One day later, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission released its first briefing about the outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause on its website, in which it confirmed 27 cases and told the public not to go to enclosed public places or gather. The public were also advised to wear face masks when going out, according to the timeline.

Starting Dec. 31, 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission released briefings on the pneumonia outbreak in accordance with the law, according to the timeline.

The NHC started to update via its official website and its new media platform the epidemic information on a daily basis since Jan. 21 and had updated 71 times by March 31.

Sharing information globally

Since the outbreak, the Chinese government has released information about the epidemic in a timely, open, transparent and responsible manner, actively responded to concerns of all sides, and enhanced cooperation with the international community, the timeline noted.

China's regular informing of the outbreak with the WHO, relevant countries and regions and China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan came on Jan. 3, 2020, according to the timeline.

Also starting Jan. 3, China began to inform the United States of the pneumonia outbreak and response measures on a regular basis.

On the same day when an expert evaluation team from the NHC initially identified a new coronavirus as the cause of the epidemic on Jan. 8, heads of China and U.S. CDCs talked over phone to discuss technological exchanges and cooperation.

Starting on Feb. 3, the English official website of the NHC started to release epidemic information simultaneously, updating the data for 58 times by March 31.

From Jan. 3 to Feb. 3, China had given the United States briefings on the epidemic information and control measures in China for 30 times, including sharing with U.S. CDC project manager in China information about China's diagnosis and treatment guidelines, prevention and control guidelines, and the linkage of the novel coronavirus database that China shares with the world in real time.

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke over phone about the epidemic with dozens of leaders of countries and regions as well as international organizations, including U.S. President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

During a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 7, Xi said that with an open, transparent and responsible attitude, China has kept the WHO as well as relevant countries and regions, including the United States, posted on the epidemic, and invited WHO and other experts to conduct field visits in Wuhan.

The NHC gave briefings on China's anti-epidemic efforts and measures at the first meeting of the APEC health working group on Feb. 8, according to the timeline.

On Feb. 12, specialists from the NHC joined a China-EU teleconference on COVID-19 related technical exchanges, introducing the latest developments of the epidemic, prevention and control measures, and the situation of international cooperation.

Starting Feb. 16, the China-WHO joint expert team, which consists of 25 experts from China, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK), Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, the United States and WHO, conducted a nine-day field visit in China, inspecting cities including Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Wuhan.

Under China's joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference has been held every day since Jan. 27, updating data on a daily basis, including new confirmed cases, severe cases, deaths and suspected cases, and giving briefings on the country's measures to fight the epidemic and minimize its impact on social and economic development.

By March 31, 65 such press conferences under the mechanism had been held, with officials of 69 departments having answered 779 questions raised by Chinese and foreign reporters at the conferences, according to the timeline.

The NHC shared on Feb. 25 updated technical guidelines on COVID-19 response with a number of countries and regional organizations, according to the timeline.