Medical workers collect samples for COVID-19 tests at Tianjin University on January 12, 2022. Photo: VCG

North China's Tianjin Municipality has been making efforts to ensure residents' daily necessities and provide an optimized mechanism to ensure they have a smooth access to medical treatment amid the latest wave of COVID-19, the authorities announced on Thursday. 

As of Thursday afternoon, 126 local confirmed cases and 22 asymptomatic infections were reported in Tianjin, according to the authorities.

Two areas under COVID-19 control in Tianjin's Xiqing district involve 43 residential communities, covering nearly 180,000 people, and supplies have been reserved to respond to the basic needs of residents for 30 days, the local authorities said on Thursday's press briefing.  

Over 12,000 tons of rice, flour, meat, vegetables, oil, eggs and milk have been reserved, which can fully meet the basic needs of people in the controlled areas for COVID-19 for more than 30 days. 

For critical patients, any hospital in Tianjin should not postpone treatment for reasons such as abnormal nucleic acid tests or health codes.  Emergency pre-examination should be strengthened to streamline emergency tasks during the epidemic to ensure all the work is carried forward in an effective, orderly and safe manner, according to the authorities. 

A total of 21 standby fever clinics in Tianjin have been prepared. Medical institutions at all levels should strongly carry on with their duty and ensure that pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency services are open 24 hours a day. It is strictly forbidden to refuse treatment to patients for any reason.

Tianjin has been following a strict "2+4+24" policy, where the epidemic prevention staff should arrive at the site within two hours, complete an epidemiological investigation of key information within four hours, and finish the investigation of the residence, work site, travel history and family members of the infected person within 24 hours. A total of 175 people have been put under centralized quarantine in Tianjin's Hexi district.