Jing'an site copes with changing quarantine rules

Ti Gong

Shanghai has seen several changes to its quarantine policy over the past two weeks. 

On March 17, nucleic acid tests and a 14-day quarantine, at home or at designated sites, were announced mandatory only for people who had lived or traveled in key affected countries and regions in the 14 days prior to their arrival in Shanghai.

From March 23, all arriving international passengers had to receive nucleic acid tests.

Three days later, everyone arriving from overseas had to undergo 14-day quarantine, at home or at a designated place. 

On March 28, the city announced that all international arrivals had to stay quarantined at designated sites, but there were exceptions. International arrivals with transfer to Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces are not quarantined in Shanghai. Instead, they are taken directly to their destinations.

Seniors, juveniles, pregnant women, people with physical disabilities, those who need to take care of the elderly or children, or those who have underlying diseases can apply for quarantine at home.

Shanghai Daily visited a temporary observation site in Jing’an District after nucleic acid tests became mandatory. Now, it also acts as a quarantine site.

At about 4:30pm on March 26, a bus carrying people with yellow stickers on their passports, indicating that they had returned from key affected countries, arrived at the site which had been converted from a hotel.

One by one, the passengers got off the bus, received thorough disinfection and registered their personal information. Then, they had throat swabs taken for nucleic acid testing. Finally, they were led to rooms to wait for the test results.

One room accommodated one person or one family. They were offered food, including biscuits and bottled water and instant noodles, and disposable items including toothbrushes and towels. They were guided in the use of disinfection tablets for faeces. As the air-conditioning was off, they were provided with quilts.

“The whole process only takes five to 10 minutes,” said Li Zhe, an official with the Jing’an District Health Commission. “But it takes eight to 15 hours to get the test result.”

For people testing negative, they would be quarantined directly on site.

Those testing positive were sent to designated medical institutions for further examination. If diagnosed with the virus, they would be sent to the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. Also, people who have been in close contact with confirmed cases, including those on the same flight or bus, would be driven to a hotel to stay in quarantine for 14 days.

Jing’an has streamlined the process to save time.

At first, people were required to take samples for testing at a community clinic and sat for hours to wait for the results. As the number of inbound passengers kept increasing, the clinic was unable to accommodate so many people, and thus after taking the samples they were driven to a quarantine hotel to wait.

Later, the hotel also got crowded. As the process was taking time and there was an increasing risk of cross-infection, the district set up an observation site, allowing people to have samples taken and also to have some rest.

“We moved here on March 24,” Li said. “The hotel has been completely disinfected, and it was divided into an infected zone, a clean zone and a buffer zone.”

Over three days, the hotel received nearly 900 people, with some testing positive for the virus.

“We are extremely busy at midnight because of international flights; at peak times we can receive nearly 200 people. Especially from 12am to 8am, we can receive five to six buses. Every bus carries about 20 people as only half of the seats are occupied to prevent cross-infection,” Li said.

Businesses have provided strong support for the site. The Northern Group has given free drinks to medics, and Sinopec sent instant noodles, bread and yogurt.

“It really warmed our hearts. We feel that we are cared for,” Li said. “Sinopec wrote to us: ‘Cheer for the most adorable people in the new era.’ When I saw it, I just wanted to cry.”