A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for COVID-19 nucleic acid test in Shanghai, April 9, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
BEIJING – China will maintain its dynamic zero-COVID approach as the country is at a critical moment in the fight against COVID-19, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission said Tuesday.
The epidemic is still surging and spreading, NHC spokesperson Mi Feng told a press conference, noting the Chinese mainland on Monday recorded 1,251 locally transmitted confirmed cases and 23,295 asymptomatic cases.
National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng Mi highlighted the importance of rapid response measures, including nucleic acid testing, the construction of quarantine facilities and treatment of the infected, so as to cut off the spread of the virus in communities as soon as possible
Mi highlighted the importance of rapid response measures, including nucleic acid testing, the construction of quarantine facilities and treatment of the infected, so as to cut off the spread of the virus in communities as soon as possible.
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He also demanded efforts to guarantee the supply of daily necessities and meet the people's needs for medication and medical treatment.
Measures should also be taken to inoculate more people against COVID-19, particularly the elderly, the spokesperson said.
As of Monday, over 3.3 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered on the Chinese mainland, with more than 1.24 billion people fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the NHC.
COVID-19 response in schools
Chinese health and education departments have upgraded COVID-19 prevention and control measures in schools to cope with the latest outbreak.
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Universities, kindergartens, and middle and primary schools are required to tighten daily monitoring of the health of students and the faculty. They must collect body-temperature reports and follow up on those on sick leave, said the latest COVID-19 response guideline released by the NHC and the Ministry of Education on Tuesday.
Students attend class at Beijing National Day School – Longyue in Haidian district of Beijing, capital of China, May 11, 2020. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
They should also regularly administer nucleic acid tests to students, the faculty, and staff.
Schools should have emergency response plans for COVID-19-positive cases so that patients can be swiftly shipped out, risk groups identified and quarantined, and venues disinfected.
Students aged above three are encouraged to take COVID-19 vaccines, and those aged above 18 are to receive boosters.
Renowned expert Wu Zunyou said the dynamic zero-COVID approach is the best choice for China to contain the spread of COVID-19.
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Wu, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, made the remarks at a press conference on Tuesday in response to a question about whether China will allow coronavirus to spread at a low level.
The dynamic zero-COVID approach aims to ensure the health and safety of the people by containing epidemic flare-ups through timely actions, Wu said, adding that the approach has proved effective over the past two-plus years.
The expert also noted that the so-called "lying flat" approach, which relies solely on vaccination instead of other prevention measures, has resulted in significant growth in infections and deaths in some countries.