Health official clarifies quarantine rules for children

A health official in Shanghai said children infected with COVID-19 will be taken care of under different categories based on current laws and protocols of epidemic prevention.

According to the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, infected people should be separated from those who not infected, said Wu Qianyu, a senior inspector of the municipal health commission, at a news conference on Monday.

Infected children under the age of 7 whose parents are not infected will receive treatment in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center away from their parents, Wu said.

Infected children older than 7 will undergo treatment in other designated quarantine hospitals equipped with pediatrician teams, Wu added.

If parents also test positive, then they would be allowed to stay with their children to receive medical observance and treatment, she said.