Beijing swings into action to curb outbreak: China Daily editorial

Prepare for the worst and strive for the best is what Beijing is doing to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus after a cluster of new cases was reported from Xinfadi wholesale food market in the southern suburb of the capital on June 11.

A total of 137 cases have been reported in the past six days since Thursday, following 56 days when the capital did not report any case.

By first identifying all those who work at the market or have visited it over the past 14 days, quarantining them as quickly as possible and then testing them, Beijing will hopefully cut the transmission chains, preventing the virus from spreading in the city and beyond.

The capital has also had all the residents in neighborhoods where cases were reported quarantined and tested. Then the close contacts of those confirmed infected are being quarantined and tested in turn.

It was definitely necessary for the capital to declare on Monday night it was raising its response from level three back to level two just 10 days after the level was lowered.

Under the level two alert, all neighborhoods have heightened their vigilance by checking temperatures of all those entering; delivery people are not allowed to enter walled residential areas and the temperatures are checked of all those entering any public venues such as supermarkets and work places.

Now all Beijing residents have put on face masks again wherever they go. They are told never to let up their vigilance and to always wash their hands after going outside.

With big data technology, all those who have any direct or indirect contact with any one from the Xinfadi wholesale market and with anyone who is confirmed infected will be able to find out and get tested.

Despite all these admirable efforts, the capital cannot afford any slipup due to negligence, particularly as no one can tell whether asymptomatic cases will pass the virus to others and how long their incubation period will be.

With the experience the country has obtained in the efforts to fight against the virus in Wuhan and Hubei province and other parts of the country early this year, Beijing should be able to do a good job in limiting the spread of the virus.

As long as it diligently implements the prevention and control measures to make sure that any infected person can be detected as early as possible and those who have been in close contacts quarantined in a timely manner, and all residents follow the recommended safeguard measures all the time, Beijing will be able to win the war against this resurgence of the epidemic.