Subdistrict outlines prevention measures

A subdistrict in Jing’an has revealed the measures it is taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in its communities.

Jiangning Road Subdistrict is keeping a close watch on people and gates, Ke Xiaolin, the subdistrict’s director, said at a city government press conference Wednesday.

People traveling from or by way of Hubei Province are required to be isolated at home for 14-day observation.

“We have a five-step mechanism to trace their health,” Ke said.

First, local officials need to check information such as where and when they arrived in Shanghai.

Second, every public area where those people have been, including elevators, corridors and their own doorsteps are professionally disinfected.

Third, police, medical workers and neighborhood officials visit the families and ask them to fill in a health information form and a letter of commitment to stay at home for 14 days. They provide the families with food, masks, thermometers, disinfectant and disposable bags.

Fourth, professional staff will collect, disinfect and transport their household waste to a designated site.

Finally, neighborhood officials will keep in touch with isolated families, phoning them at least twice a day to ensure they are ok and have everything they need. 

For people who have returned from other places, the subdistrict has ordered every residential compound to register their information and make sure infection is not suspected. 

“We’ve traced 505 people and yesterday we had 153 of them registered,” Ke said. “As business will soon be resumed, the number of people will increase.”

For people renting housing in the subdistrict, neighborhood officials are required to get to know there whereabouts and when will they return.

Every residential compound has been called to be good gatekeepers.

“We have 86 residential compounds and 239 gates,” Ke said. “Of them, 137 gates belong to modern commercial apartments. We’ve ordered them to not allow deliverymen to enter the community, and anyone entering the community should have their temperatures checked.”

He added: “For old neighborhoods without entrance guards, we’ve sent officials to patrol around.”

The subdistrict has also ordered every public venue on the street to shut their doors, except those necessary to support daily life. Restaurants can only offer take-out services. 

“But we still send lunch to the 250 elders, who are bedridden or live alone at home, because it’s necessary,” Ke said.

The subdistrict has 32 office buildings and 1,989 companies. “We ensure that every site is disinfected before they resume operation. In some office buildings we send officials to help property managers carry out disinfection and register people entering the buildings,” Ke said.