Wuhan, where the global COVID-19 pandemic began, is still testing residents regularly, despite relaxing a tough two-month lockdown, with China wary of a rebound in cases even as it sets its sights on normalizing the economy.
Concerns remain over an influx of infected patients from overseas, as well as China’s ability to detect asymptomatic patients, and Wuhan has tried to reassure the public that it remains vigilant.
Feng Jing, who runs a group of community workers looking after the Tanhualin neighborhood in Wuhan, yesterday said that during a government-run tour for journalists that they would continue to carry out extensive checks on residents.
Photo: Reuters
“We carry out comprehensive heath checks every day and keep detailed records of their health condition,” she said, adding that there is no likelihood of asymptomatic cases in her community.
“Currently our neighborhood is an epidemic-free community — it’s been 45 days so far, so we don’t have this situation,” she said.
China yesterday reported a fall in new cases after leaders promised to accelerate the country’s economic recovery, boost domestic demand and put more people back to work.
China’s central government coronavirus task force, chaired by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強), on Thursday said that it would speed up efforts to revive the economy, while simultaneously introducing targeted measures aimed at preventing infected people from entering the country.
China now needs to “actively create favorable conditions” to restore normality in the economy, it said, but added that there was still a risk of a rebound in cases.
In Shanghai, state media have also been deployed to dispel online rumors that the city has now become “the most dangerous place in the country” as thousands of people flood in from Wuhan, including many who are asymptomatic.
With the government now promising to deploy resources to tackle high-risk areas, much of the focus has shifted to Heilongjiang Province, which on Thursday reported 28 new imported cases crossing the border from Russia.
The province has so far found 154 cases of imported infections.
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