Medical workers collect a throat swab from a citizen at a nucleic acid testing site in Haidian District of Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2020.File photo:Xinhua

Beijing authorities at a press conference on Sunday vowed to take a series of updated measures to curb imported COVID-19 cases, including advising returnees to take direct flights, requesting them to strictly follow 14+7 days of medical observation upon entering China, and strengthening management of a local medium-risk community where a recent confirmed case stayed.

According to the local health commission, two imported cases were confirmed on Saturday, and no local case was reported.

Of the two cases, one, a Russian, came from Moscow on December 10 and the other, a Chinese, came from Pakistan on Friday.

At the press conference, Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Beijing CDC, advised the returnees to carefully understand the requests for testing for antibodies and nucleic acid in relevant countries and regions, and choose direct flights as far as possible to avoid the risk of infection caused by transit stops. 

Liu said the returnees are requested to strictly follow 14+7 days of medical observation upon entering China and comply with all prevention and control requirements.

Liu said during the season of high risk for infectious diseases in winter and spring, measures such as wearing masks, taking temperatures and checking health codes, ventilation and disinfection, and maintaining social distances should be strictly implemented at key areas including local supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, airports and theaters. 

Employees in key industries such as cold-chain logistics, express delivery and taxi services must be strictly protected from the COVID-19 epidemic, Liu noted.

Also, Beijing authorities said they would step up the risk management and control for a local medium-risk area, the Dashanzi branch of Hanting Hotel in Chaoyang district and other stores in the building, after two confirmed cases - close contacts of a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 on December 14 -- stayed in the hotel on Friday.

This is the first time the capital announced a medium-risk area since July 20.

The Dashanzi hotel and stores inside the building have been closed. People in the medium-risk area have been asked in principle not to leave the capital and those who have to leave Beijing need to carry a negative nucleic acid test result valid for seven days. Beijing has started nucleic acid tests of residents and the environment in the area, as well as those in the surrounding neighborhood.

Ding Sheng, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said at the press conference that the city launched a general inspection of COVID-19 prevention and control work at housing construction sites and infrastructure projects in the city. If any major risks and management loopholes are found in the inspection, the construction sites and infrastructure projects shall be ordered to stop work and rectify these issues.

According to the press conference, a local performance that had a larger audience than the approved number has been investigated.

In addition, a spokesperson for the Beijing local government said that it discourages citizens from traveling abroad or to domestic areas that are classified as medium or high risk.

Global Times