China optimizes COVID-19 response measures
Beijing, The Gulf Observer: China will faithfully implement its optimized COVID-19 response measures in a science-based and targeted manner, said a spokesperson with the National Health Commission (NHC) on Thursday.
“We firmly oppose two inappropriate approaches. One is the block-it-off approach, which resorts to excessive control measures, and the other is the let-it-go approach, which is irresponsible,” said Mi Feng, an NHC spokesperson, at a press conference.
China’s COVID-19 response should put the people and their lives above everything else, practice the general strategy of “preventing both imported cases and domestic resurgences,” and tenaciously pursue the policy of “dynamic zero-COVID,” he said.
Last Friday, the Chinese government released a circular on further optimizing the COVID-19 response, announcing 20 prevention and control measures.The public has shown positive feedback to the optimized response measures.
The number of petitions related to COVID-19 response, posted by ordinary citizens on the NHC website, has dropped by 39 percent from last Friday to Wednesday, according to Shen Hongbing, deputy chief of the national administration of disease prevention and control, at the same press conference.
The newly-released response measures included placing different types of patients at various medical facilities.
Efforts will be made to enhance the capacity of designated hospitals to deal with severe or critical cases, Guo Yanhong, a senior NHC official, said at the press conference.
Some large venues, such as stadiums and exhibition centers, will be prepared in advance for building makeshift hospitals to treat asymptomatic patients or those having mild symptoms, Guo said.
The authorities will also spend more resources on fever clinics in regular hospitals to early detect, report, quarantine, and treat infected cases, the official said.
