Positive COVID trend in Hebei; caution still needed

The COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hebei province has been stabilizing with a good trend, but there should be no letup in related work because the foundation is not solid enough yet to relax, top officials of the province noted during a video meeting on Monday night in Shijiazhuang.

The meeting was presided over by Ni Yuefeng, the province's Party chief, who also made remarks. Some other top officials also gave speeches.

Hebei reported 19 local confirmed cases and 697 asymptomatic carriers on Monday, most of which were detected in Shijiazhuang, the province's hardest-hit city in the latest outbreak.

The city recorded 18 confirmed cases, including 16 that had been asymptomatic carriers before, and 580 asymptomatic carriers, down for the fourth consecutive day from its daily peak on Thursday, when the city recorded more than 3,000 infections.

Places with positive cases will be disinfected to reduce transmission risk in the environment, officials said. They also demanded good care of vulnerable patients, including elderly people with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and infants.

The regular work of epidemic prevention and control is underway in the province, with nursing homes, schools, hospitals, government institutions, supermarkets, hotels and prisons being the key focus, officials said at the meeting.

They ordered related departments to make preparations for a possible recurrence of COVID-19, combined with flu, in the coming winter and spring. Designated hospitals, makeshift hospitals, quarantine centers and sufficient medical supplies should be ensured, they said.