Analysis: Is COVID-19 limping, looming and re-gripping Beijing?

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

It has become an eye opener and cause of concern for many countries as gradually the new coronavirus cases have started re-emerging in Beijing, the capital city of China.

As per latest reports, Beijing reported four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 from 4 pm to 12 pm on June 12, totaling seven confirmed cases during the two days, with all having close connection with the just closed Xinfadi agricultural products wholesale market in the city's Fengtai district.

Except for one confirmed patient who went on a business trip to Qingdao in Shandong province, the other six patients had no history of being out of the capital or contacting people from Hubei or abroad.

In order to rein in the situation, immediate steps have been adopted as s Beijing will begin testing for COVID-19 all people who came in contact with Xinfadi market, and details of the plan will be released later, officials said on June 13.

Beijing currently has 98 testing institutions in total, with a maximum screening capability of over 90,000 people per day, according to Gao Xiaojun, the spokesman of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission. "This will be enough to meet the needs," he said.

The coronavirus was detected on a chopping board used by a seller of imported salmon at Xinfadi market. The seller's salmon was from the Fengtai district's Jingshen seafood market.

Xinfadi market, which caters to 90 percent of Beijing's vegetables and fruit, will be the top priority in tracing the source of the epidemic, and a working group will be dispatched to strengthen epidemic prevention and control there, China Daily reported.

Over 10,000 workers in Beijing's Xinfadi market will undergo the nucleic acid tests, the official reckoned.

While Beijing is now on high alert, Hubei, the epicenter of the deadly virus has decided to lower its emergency response level to the second-lowest tier since June 6 because there have been no new infections case there in last 24 days.

Hubei has reported a total of 68,135 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,512 related deaths, with 63,623 patients who were recovered and been discharged from hospitals by June 11.

Comments

Corona field facility at Karachi Expo Centre may admit patients now

By Mukhtar Alam (Pakistan News & Features Services) The 1,200-bed field isolation centre at the Karachi Expo Centre, on April 6, will open its doors for new COVID-19 infected patients of Karachi and other parts of Sindh who will be referred to it by designated tertiary care hospitals, as the diseases infected another 51 people in six districts of Sindh on April 5. A source in the provincial health department informed PNFS that authorities have decided not to overburden the designated tertiary care health facilities in terms of corona cases further. The hospitals have now been asked to admit only new severely ill COVID-19 patients or those seeking intensive cares, while the rest will present at the newly established Expo Centre isolation facility, where the Sindh health department has deployed its doctors, paramedics and other human resources, the source added. Through a letter of the health department, all the district health officers of Karachi division have been asked ...

Ambassador explains Chinese role in curbing COVID-19

By Masood Sattar Khan (Pakistan News & Features Services) The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, attended the preparation and response plan of the new crown epidemic on April 24. According to the details shared by the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, Ambassador Yao Jing was invited to attend the Pakistan New Crown Outbreak Preparation and Response Plan (PPRP) on video conference. The meeting, organized by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of Economic Affairs, Khasro Bakhtiar, Prime Minister’s Health Adviser Dr Zafar Mirza, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, General Muhammad Afzal, WHO Director-General, Tan Desai besides the representatives of World Bank, United Nations, UNICEF, UNHCR, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and envoys from more than 20 countries. Besides China, envoys from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, the European Unio...

Khumar Farooqui passes away

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi (Pakistan News & Features Services) Noted poet and writer, Masroor Alam Farooqui, famously known as Khumar Farooqui, passed away in Karachi after a brief illness. He was 71. He has left behind a widow, two sons and two daughters besides grandsons and granddaughters to mourn his death. Khumar Farooqui was born at Agra, British India, in 1942. Upon migration to Pakistan, he did his MA and LL.B from Rawalpindi. He joined government service at the Federal Bureau of Statistics from where he retired as the Chief Statistical Officer. A born poet, Khumar Farooqui joined the Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET), Karachi, as a consultant and worked in its Literary and Cultural Forum headed by Late Brig (Rtd) Qamarussalam after whose death he became the convener of the forum. He used to attend mushairas at national and international levels. His poetry ...

Shehri Tv

Search This Blog