The Joint prevention and control mechanism of The State Council held a press conference yesterday. Lei Zhenglong, deputy director of the NHC disease control and Prevention Bureau, said at a press conference that from March 1 to April 11, 31 provinces and autonomous regions and xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported a total of 325,303 cases of local infections, affecting 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. With the implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures across the country, the newly affected areas were able to deal with the situation quickly and effectively, and no new large-scale outbreaks occurred.
Lei zhenglong said that guangdong, Shandong and Hebei, among the five provinces and cities hit hardest by the epidemic, have all shown a positive trend since mid-March as local epidemic prevention and control measures have been effectively implemented. The epidemic situation in Hebei, Jiangsu, Anhui, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang and Shandong is generally under control. Jilin province is on a downward trend, with the number of new infections falling below 1,000 for three consecutive days, but still at a high level.
Mi Feng, spokesman for the National Health Commission, said at a press conference that the epidemic is still at a high level, with the spread of the epidemic further expanding, and the prevention and control of the epidemic is in a critical period. We must continue to adhere to the general policy of “dynamic zero-out” without hesitation or waver, strengthen confidence and be more resolute, and implement all prevention and control measures to every link.
A media question: Some people think that we can choose between “zero” and “lying down”, that is, allowing the virus to spread at a low level. Is this option feasible?
Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China CDC, responded that China has been exploring prevention and control strategies and is constantly improving them based on progress in prevention and control work and updated understanding of COVID-19. The biggest purpose of “dynamic zero clearance” is to protect people’s health and life safety as much as possible. Wu zunyou said, “The so-called lying down is that other prevention and control measures are not taken at all except for vaccination. After some countries have found that the number of cases and deaths have risen sharply, it has scaled back and added other prevention and control measures. China’s measures over the past two years have proved that dynamic zero-out is in line with China’s reality and is the best option for China to control the epidemic in a timely manner at this stage.”
When asked whether asymptomatic infected persons can stay at home, Wu Zunyou said that some asymptomatic infected persons are in the incubation period of confirmed cases. If they cannot be detected and treated in time, they are at risk, which may lead to the spread of the epidemic, or individuals may miss the optimal period of treatment. Infected persons under centralized quarantine will not be cross-spread and can receive treatment during asymptomatic and mild isolation. Therefore, patients with mild and asymptomatic cases should be quarantined at a centralized level