Beijing further tightens epidemic prevention, control measures

By Zhu Jingruo, Wang Haonan, People’s Daily

 

Beijing is ramping up efforts to further reinforce COVID-19 prevention and control network to avoid any possible transmission of the novel coronavirus by enhancing relevant measures for key links and sense of responsibility of major entities.

 

Beijing reported nine newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on June 21, bringing the double-digit daily increase to a single-digit number after 8 consecutive days and seeing a sound momentum of epidemic control.

 

In recent days, the capital has spared no pains and raced against time to carry out strict epidemiological investigations and comprehensively trace the source of the new clustered infections.

 

In the short period of time, Beijing has fully grasped the information of the resurgence and important risk points, and contained further spread of the disease.

 

Comprehensive and thorough disinfection measures have been taken in farm produce markets to ensure strict epidemic prevention and control at all links of the food supply chain. 

 

Learning its lesson from the Xinfadi wholesale market, Beijing has comprehensively intensified efforts to strengthen management of the whole supply chain to guarantee food safety.

 

While requiring market operators to earnestly perform their duty to adopt strict standards in cleaning, disinfection, ventilation, and personal protection, the city has also tightened inspection and quarantine for food transported through cold chain systems, extending epidemic prevention measures for agricultural and sideline products to key places including vegetable markets, supermarkets, restaurants, and canteens.         

 

A wholesale market on Dayang Road, Shibalidian township, Chaoyang district of Beijing, sterilizes the stall and booth area four times a day, the living area and public area outside the hall of the market, including sewer and garbage station, twice a day, and toilets four times a day. Besides, trash in the market is cleared every day.   

 

In addition, the market regulation administration of Chaoyang district puts on record and establishes a ledger for all the products in the market, in a bid to ensure that the sources and sales process of the products are under control and traceable.

 

Massive COVID-19 tests have been conducted on construction sites to ensure safety.

 

June is the peak period for construction projects. The high density of workers has posed challenge for epidemic prevention and control on construction sites. Beijing has so far discovered three confirmed COVID-19 cases on two construction sites, both of which have been put under closed-off management.

 

On June 22, Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-rural Development issued new regulations on epidemic prevention and control for construction sites, specifying that all the staff members of a project must be tested for COVID-19 if there is direct contact of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the project, or if anyone works for the project has been to the Xinfadi market.

 

All the chefs, purchasers, service providers, sanitation workers and security guards of construction sites must be tested for COVID-19, according to the new regulations. Those required to take COVID-19 test also include the staff working for projects under construction and major projects in medium- and high-risk areas.

 

The city has tested a total of 1,622 people working for 435 projects in 16 districts, according to Ding Sheng, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.     

 

Public transport system in Beijing has adopted the strictest epidemic prevention and control measures.

 

On the basis of existing measures, bus stations in high-risk areas are requested to be disinfected every hour, and the interior of the buses are requested to be disinfected every trip an ensure ventilation.

 

Beijing Subway also further raised relevant standards for disinfection, ventilation, and temperature measurement, requiring that all the facilities frequently touched by passengers must be disinfected once an hour, such as security inspection devices and equipment, self-service ticket issuing equipment, turnstiles, handrails of staircases and escalators, as well as elevators.

 

In addition, public floors, stairs, gates, as well as toilets are required to be disinfected five times a day, while subway cars must turn on their fresh air ventilation system all the time.