The Shanghai government is clearly stepping up its fight against SARS, announcing eight strict measures to stop the disease from spreading as the city reported six new suspected cases yesterday, bringing the total to 16.
The measures are:
All passengers on airplanes, ships, trains, buses and other forms of transportation are required to fill in health declaration forms and have their temperature taken when entering the city. Anyone with flu-like symptoms will be quarantined and reported to the district-level disease prevention and control centers.
Hotel and hostel guests must fill in similar forms and have their temperature taken when checking in.
Those who hail from SARS-affected regions must be housed on special floors of the building and have their temperature taken every day.
Hotels are required to shut down central air-conditioning systems and open windows for ventilation as much as possible.
Students at local primary and secondary schools, kindergartens and nurseries must have their temperature taken every morning. Schools can ban children with a fever from attending classes.
Children returning to Shanghai from SARS-hit areas must be quarantined at home for two weeks.
All public transportation and public venues must undergo strict disinfections every day. These places are also ordered to enhance ventilation.
Local government agencies and businesses must stop organizing and hosting any nationwide or trans-province conferences or large events. If unable to cancel, the organizer must report to health authorities.
Local government agencies should not organize any conferences, travel or study trips. Employers and neighborhood communities should persuade citizens not to travel.
All staff working at medical facilities, the service industry, public transportation and entry-exit stations must wear masks and take other preventative measures.
The government will host weekly news conferences to inform the media and public about the latest SARS situation and other relative information.
Local residents should report to district-level disease prevention and control centers if they know any one who has had close contact with SARS patients or come from SARS-affected regions in the past two weeks. If the person being reported is diagnosed with SARS or even suspected of having the disease, the informers will be rewarded.
In addition, staff at pharmacies must carefully inquire about people purchasing medicine for flu and coughs and advise them to visit a hospital as soon as possible.
The government will take legal action against any SARS patient or suspected patient, who hides his or her symptoms and spreads the deadly flu-like disease.
The overall prevention and control task is under the administration of district governments. Every district is required to arrange special places for quarantined patients.
The measures are effective immediately.
Shanghai reported six new suspected cases yesterday, bringing the total number of suspected cases to 16. All of the six new cases involved local citizens. One US citizen and one person from Taiwan are suspected of having the disease.
As of yesterday, the number of SARS cases remained at two, a 40-year-old woman and her father. Their are in "stable condition," according to the government's daily update.
A team of the World Health Organization experts continued their investigation of Shanghai's health system yesterday. They checked Shanghai Infectious Disease Hospital, Changhai Hospital affiliated to the No 2 Military Medical Institute and three community health centers.
Their visit is due to end today. The team will give a press conference to both domestic and overseas media this afternoon.
(eastday.com April 24, 2003)
