The capital Beijing and financial center Shanghai - China's two largest cities - have just announced new regulations to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Accordingly, Beijing and Shanghai - with populations of more than 20 million and 24 million, respectively - have "joined" a state of semi-lockdown.
Beijing streets are deserted after the lockdown order
The measures announced by the authorities of China's two largest cities on February 10 include: stricter control of people and vehicles, mandatory mask wearing, suspension of crowded entertainment activities and other unnecessary community activities...
Specifically, for example, in Beijing, at a press conference on February 10, the government issued a "communiqué on strengthening epidemic prevention and control in communes (villages)", with many strict management measures for these residential areas.
There are 10 measures applied, divided into two parts. The first part includes 7 measures, including management by closing off sub-areas (villages), vehicles and people entering sub-areas must undergo inspection and registration, management of public spaces and rental rooms...
Shanghai residents hardly leave their homes.
Part two includes three measures related to people's livelihood, including: managing the opening hours of supermarkets, pharmacies, vegetable markets...; raising people's awareness of prevention and control, strictly complying with regulations on wearing masks in public places, reducing outdoor activities, not participating in crowded gatherings; officials, party members... must set an example, actively participate in disease prevention, and encourage relatives and neighbors to comply with related regulations.
These measures are aimed at controlling the possibility of transmission of the disease as people in these cities return to work after the Lunar New Year holiday. The epidemic prevention and control work in Beijing has now entered a critical stage, so the above measures are being implemented in accordance with the new situation and new requirements. After the above measures were announced, most people seemed to show support amid the fear of the new coronavirus.
Last week, major cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Hangzhou, and Chengdu announced similar measures. Meanwhile, like Hubei, the governments of Liaoning and Jiangxi provinces announced epidemic prevention and control measures across the province.
Semi-lockdowns have been imposed in more than 80 cities in nearly 20 provinces and autonomous regions of China since the central government decided to lock down Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and neighboring cities in Hubei province on January 23.
Update information
As of 9:00 a.m. on February 12, the total number of nCoV infections worldwide was 45,168, the total number of deaths was 1,115, and the number of recoveries was 4,657.
On February 11, there were 97 more deaths from the new coronavirus in mainland China, down from 108 deaths reported on February 10. In addition, the number of new infections on February 11 in the mainland was 2,015, also down from 2,478 cases on February 10.
The official name of the new coronavirus adopted by WHO is Covid-19.
