Despite the sporadic cases reported in recent days, the epidemic situation in Beijing generally remains under control and no effort shall be spared to implement preventive measures, said Xu Hejian, a spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government at a press briefing on Monday.
Xu, also the deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the head of the Information Office of Beijing Municipal People's Government, noted that an upgraded version of the health code app will be soon introduced, allowing for greater transparency and providing citizens access to detailed information concerning their vaccination status and nucleic acid test results.
Xu called for all-out efforts to prevent imported cases and spread within the city. He urged that a science-based, targeted, and stringent prevention approach should be adopted to address potential risks of infection and curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
According to Xu, people returning to Beijing from overseas will be asked to undergo a 14-day concentrated quarantine and then a week-long self-observation at home. A closed-loop management system will be applied to overseas visitors arriving in Beijing via other ports in China over the next 21 days.
Likewise, additional preventive efforts will be rolled out in airports, especially with regards to inspection and quarantine work at border entries as well as management of crew members and other airport staff to prevent possible infection.
Xu said that the municipal government will pay close attention to the epidemic situation in middle- and low-risk areas, strengthening collaborative efforts with these regions.
Concerning the key areas inside the city where sporadic cases were reported, Xu called for stringent containment measures. Fever clinics, community-based health centers, private clinics, and pharmacies will face more frequent inspections and investigations in order to help trace patients with potential infection risks. At the same time, measures will be enforced to reduce the chance of infection in hospitals.
Xu further noted that more efforts should be put in place in the epidemiological investigations, especially on the part of the city's ride-hailing companies.
For nucleic acid testing, Beijing plans to act in accordance with the National Health Commission's latest manual and complete COVID-19 inoculation for key groups as planned.
In addition, Xu urged supervising efforts from all portions of society, the city's district government, and all industries, to help fill in the gaps existing in the preventive works and carry out a patriotic public health campaign with specific targets.
The Information Office of Beijing Municipal People's Government will continue to respond proactively to social concerns, help citizens develop healthy life habits, and help raise people's awareness in epidemic prevention and control, Xu concluded.
