Hubei continues to strictly control the channels leaving Wuhan and Hubei! What are the specific measures? Is there any change in the prevention and control efforts?

According to the Hubei Daily, on the afternoon of February 24, Ying Yong, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Commander of the Provincial New Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic Prevention and Control Command, presided over a working meeting of the command, at which he emphasized that Hubei will continue to strictly control the channels leaving Wuhan and Hubei. So what are the specific measures? Is there any change in the prevention and control efforts?

Hubei continues to strictly control the channels leaving Wuhan and Hubei

1. Hubei continues to strictly control the channels for leaving Wuhan and Hubei

At the command work meeting chaired by Ying Yong, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Commander of the Provincial COVID-19 Prevention and Control Command on February 24, Ying Yong emphasized that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the meeting on coordinating the prevention and control of COVID-19 and economic and social development is our action guide and fundamental principle for doing a good job in epidemic prevention and control. We must quickly align our thoughts and actions with General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech and the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, implement the requirements of the meeting of the Central Leading Group for Responding to the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic, strengthen our confidence in victory, maintain strategic focus, adhere to a problem-oriented, goal-oriented, and results-oriented approach, respond to challenges and tests in a wartime state, and take all prevention and control work seriously.

Ying Yong pointed out that at present, there have been some positive changes in the prevention and control of the epidemic in Hubei Province, but at the same time, we must also be soberly aware that the epidemic situation is still severe and complicated. We must continue to make epidemic prevention and control the top priority and the most important task in the province, and resolutely overcome paralysis, war-weariness, fluke, and slackness. We must insist on maintaining the same rhythm, undiminished intensity, and unrelaxed standards. We must continue to grit our teeth, aim at key and outstanding issues, fight one battle after another, stabilize the situation as soon as possible, and reverse the situation.

"The key to epidemic prevention and control is implementation. We must speed up, implement and carry out all work in detail!" Ying Yong emphasized that we must firmly grasp the two key points of urban and rural community prevention and control and patient treatment, do a good job in epidemiological investigations, weave a tight and strong community prevention and control network, carry out dragnet screening and identification, and continue to strictly control the channels leaving Wuhan and Hubei. Push the treatment threshold forward, strengthen the treatment functions of isolation points and temporary hospitals, strengthen medical intervention for mild patients, strengthen the expert team's "one-on-one" treatment of critically ill patients, and effectively reduce the mortality rate. We must do everything possible to fight the logistics support battle, fully support medical supplies companies in the province to expand production and increase capacity, focus on solving the problem of shortage of some medical equipment, and promote the allocation of protective materials to grassroots frontline workers while ensuring the needs of medical staff.

II. What are the specific measures?

On February 24, the Wuhan Municipal COVID-19 Prevention and Control Command Center first issued Notice No. 17, stating that people who must leave the city for reasons such as epidemic prevention and control, urban operations, production and life, and treatment of special diseases, as well as people from other places stranded in Wuhan (hereinafter referred to as people leaving the city) can leave the city, but they must adhere to the principles of staggered exit and implementation in batches, in a timely, safe and orderly manner.

Notice No. 18 was issued a few hours later, stating that Notice No. 17 was issued by the Traffic Control Group under the Municipal Command without the research of the Command and the consent of the main leaders, and declared the notice invalid.

At the meeting, Ying Yong also emphasized that in response to the continued strict lockdown in cities, relevant measures to ensure daily supply must be implemented as soon as possible, market supply must be strengthened, distribution methods must be optimized, and sufficient supply and stable prices of daily necessities must be ensured so that the people can see the changes and feel the benefits. We must pay special attention to groups such as the elderly living alone, children in difficult circumstances, the seriously ill and disabled, and low-income families, and ensure their basic living needs.

In order to implement the requirements of scientific prevention and control and precise policy implementation, and to promptly resolve outstanding problems in the prevention and control of the epidemic in Hubei Province, the meeting decided to establish a comprehensive expert group under the framework of the provincial command, composed of experts in medical treatment, disease prevention and control, comprehensive epidemic analysis, psychological crisis intervention, emergency management, urban safe operation, and legal services.

On February 16, Hubei adjusted the composition and division of responsibilities of the provincial prevention and control headquarters. After the adjustment, the provincial prevention and control headquarters will set up five working groups, including an office and comprehensive group, medical treatment and disease control group, material and market guarantee group, publicity group, and social stability group.