Health monitoring tightens as arrivals increase
The local health authority requires companies and workplaces to carry out epidemic prevention and control as employees return to work gradually.
“Employers must require all people from key areas to stay at home for 14-day quarantine and observation. Only those showing no symptoms can go back to work after the 14 days,” said Zheng Jin, a spokeswoman for Shanghai Health Commission.
“Every working venue should monitor its staff and ask them to go to hospital if they have a fever, cough and shortness of breath. The government encourages companies to put work online and avoid gatherings.”
Minhang District reported a suspected case on January 18. The man, who was later confirmed as infected, took his son to a hospital in Wuhan to visit a relative in early January and started to suffer symptoms upon returning to Shanghai on January 11, but still went to work and had meetings and meals with colleagues. The patient was found to have had 28 close contacts including family and colleagues. One colleague and his son were later confirmed infected.
Shanghai reported 12 new cases on Friday. The health commission released 16 places in seven districts that these people have stayed and visited. These places included residential complexes, Shanghai Hepu Pharmaceutical Co in Zhangjiang High-tech Park and public venues including the Pudong International Airport, Metro Line 9’s Jiuting Station and Songjiang Campus Station.
All their close contacts are now in quarantine and under observation. All residential complexes, working venues and public places were informed for necessary measures.
Since requiring all arrivals to register their movements outside Shanghai on January 31, over 1.7 million people have registered, officials said.
Key venues like railway stations and airports have abundant personnel and equipment to carry out temperature checks and registrations.
“We have 16 temperature checkpoints at Hongqiao airport and Hongqiao railway station with 50 medical staff, 160 policemen and 260 volunteers,” said Hang Wenquan, director of Minhang District Health Commission. “Every passenger has their temperature checked. Those with high temperatures are transferred to designated hospitals for diagnosis and treatment.”
By Friday, some 1.2 million temperature checkpoints were conducted at the Hongqiao transportation hubs and 101 people were found with abnormal temperature. Ambulances transported 60 of them to designated hospitals.
The railway station received about 1,700 people from key areas and all are in quarantine at home or designated places.
Shanghai's railway stations are estimated to see 16,000 passengers depart on Saturday, and 103,000 passengers arrive. Saturday is the 30th day of chunyun, the Spring Festival travel rush, which lasts 40 days.
Disinfection at the city's metro and railway stations, public transportation, public venues and office buildings is conducted daily, authorities said.
A mechanic checks a high-speed railway train from Shanghai.
Passengers have temperature measured at the Wuxi Railway Station in Jiangsu Province.
