A view of CBD area in Beijing, China. Photo:Xinhua

 
Beijing is treating foreigners in the city in the same way as Chinese residents by including them in the community health management system and promoting epidemic-related knowledge in a bid to strengthen containment of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.

When foreigners enter Beijing and enter communities, they are required to register their basic information, report their health condition and learn Beijing's epidemic control policies, Zhang Qiang, an official with Beijing's prevention working group, told a press conference on Monday.

Foreigners under home observation need to report their body temperature every day to the communities they are in via WeChat, telephone or message. If fever or respiratory symptoms occur, they need to go to fever clinics in time for diagnosis and treatment, Zhang said.

Communities in Beijing have also printed handbooks and posters on epidemic control in various languages and are delivering them to foreigners at their doorstep and via the internet.

Some areas with large numbers of foreign residents also established foreign language hotlines and provide policy consultation and psychological counseling, Zhang said, noting that foreigners can also voluntarily join the epidemic control work and strengthen communication with other foreigners.

Beijing is also enhancing service support in epidemic control with foreigners, and their cultural traditions, habits and religious beliefs will be respected, Zhang said.

Chen Bei, deputy general secretary of Beijing municipal government, said at the same press conference that foreigners are being treated the same way as others in Beijing according to Beijing's epidemic prevention policies.

For instance, Beijing's Wangjing region in Chaoyang district is an area with a lot of South Korean residents, and Chaoyang district has applied a series of health management measures that have gained positive results and won foreigners' understanding and support, Chen said.

From Thursday to Saturday, Beijing had a total of 10 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, and nine of them came from foreign countries, according to the website of Beijing municipal government.

No new confirmed cases were reported for Sunday.

Global Times