Beijing winning battle on virus with its rigorous measures
Strength lies in unity for world in battle against epidemic and the difficulties it presents
THE outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia is the most severe public health emergency in China since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Since the outbreak, the Central Committee of the Communist Party with comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has made the prevention and control of the epidemic the most important and urgent task, and taken the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures.
The government has put the prevention and control of the epidemic in Wuhan and the province of Hubei, the major battlefields of the country, as the top priority.
More than 330 medical teams and 41 600 medical personnel have been mobilised to help.
Makeshift hospitals such as Huoshenshan, Leishenshan and many others have been built or transformed to increase bed supply. In view of the serious problems existing in the early prevention and control work in the region, the central committee adjusted the leadership of Hubei provincial party committee and Wuhan municipal party committee.
At the same time all the provinces, municipal cities, and autonomous regions have also stepped up measures for epidemic prevention and control.
They have launched a first-class response to major public health emergencies, and initiated the prevention and control system of joint prevention and control, measures such as reducing the flow of people, extending the Spring Festival holiday, delaying the start of school, and strict measures in terms of health monitoring and personnel management, etc, have been put in place and implemented.
Through the concerted efforts of the whole country, the spread of the epidemic has been contained and remarkable progress has been made in the prevention and control of the epidemic, and the situation has shown a positive trend.
We are very happy to see a notable decline in the total number of newly confirmed cases throughout the whole country, a remarkable increase in the number of newly cured and discharged cases, and zero new cases reported by a total of 26 provinces, municipal cities, and autonomous regions by February 26, including Beijing.
Twelve provinces, municipal cities, and autonomous regions have lowered the first-class response to major public health emergencies to second class or third class.
While fully affirming these achievements, we must be aware that the current epidemic situation is still severe and complex, and epidemic prevention and control is in the most arduous and critical stage – the turning point in the fight against the epidemic has not yet arrived.
In particular, while the peak time for passenger transport after the Chinese Spring Festival is drawing closer, the situation of epidemic prevention and control will become more complicated and difficult.
The Ministry of Transport of China expects 120 million people to return to work by the end of this month, with more than 100 million more returning after next month, plus about 100 million students returning to school on an unscheduled return date.
The outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia has inevitably caused a big impact on China’s economy and society, and constituted a major challenge to the country’s efforts to achieve its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
Hence, on the premise of consolidating and expanding the achievements of epidemic prevention and control, it is critical to promote the resumption of work and production of enterprises and businesses in areas not listed as the focus of epidemic prevention and control to restore the order of production and life.
At present, there are many counties (districts) with no confirmed cases, and some counties (districts) with few cumulative cases, and basically no new cases.
Next stage, these low-risk areas will adjust their prevention and control strategies as soon as possible, and comprehensively restore the order of production and life.
Medium-risk areas will return to work and production in an orderly manner, according to the prevention and control situation. High-risk areas will continue to focus on epidemic prevention and control.
President Xi Jinping, when delivering an important speech on Sunday at a meeting in Beijing to advance the work on co-ordinating epidemic prevention and control, and economic and social development, comprehensively summarised the epidemic prevention and control work, and put forward key tasks and major measures to co-ordinate and promote epidemic prevention and control, and economic and social development.
The president’s speech marks a new stage of highly co-ordinated deployment of the prevention and control of epidemic and economic and social development in China, and serves as a fundamental guarantee to ultimate success in winning the epidemic prevention and control campaign and achieving the goals of economic and social development. It has sounded the clarion call of resolutely winning the epidemic prevention and control campaign in China.
While the epidemic situation is initially under control in China, as of yesterday, the novel coronavirus has spread to 38 other countries. Under the current situation, it is particularly significant for the relevant countries and regions to expand international cooperation and work together, hand in hand, to overcome the epidemic and work through the difficulties. This is the aspiration of the Chinese people and is in the common interests of people of the whole world.