Guangzhou reports 7,620 new COVID-19 cases

On the afternoon of Nov 24, Guangzhou held a COVID-19 Prevention and Control Press Conference to brief the latest epidemic situation in the city.

On Nov23, Guangzhou reported 7,620 locally acquired COVID-19 cases, among which 50 were found in communities. Haizhu district reported 7,243 new infections, most of which were still detected in the high-risk areas of Kangle-Lujiang, Datang and Longtan. The number of new infections in the past 72 hours in the lockdown areas decreased compared with the previous 72 hours.

According to Zhang Yi, deputy director general and spokesperson of the Guangzhou Health Commission, since Nov 23, Tianhe, Huadu, Conghua, Zengcheng and Panyu districts have reported cluster outbreaks, involving construction sites, institutions, organizations, urban villages, and other densely populated areas with a high risk of transmission.

Zhang pointed out that in some lockdown areas, some people still gathered in crowds, and even crashed the fences and rushed out of the lockdown areas. Such behavior will bring the risk of a rebound in the lockdown areas, and cause the hidden spread of the virus in non-lockdown areas, hindering the epidemic control efforts of the whole city, while also exposing themselves to the risk of infection.

Zhang noted that to further implement the 20 optimized measures for COVID-19 prevention and control launched by the State Council's Joint Mechanism for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, all districts of Guangzhou will comprehensively map people's views on evacuation in the lockdown areas, develop optimal evacuation plan along with the epidemic-free community and epidemic-free grid initiative, effectively control the spillover risk of the epidemic, strengthen information communication and collaboration with local CDC at their destinations, and orderly carry out the evacuation of non-high-risk residents in non-high-risk areas of lockdown areas under staggered schedule.

Xu Xin, director of the Publicity Department of Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau Command Center, revealed that recently, in some lockdown areas, some individuals moved the water-filled barriers and left the area without permission; some violated the control rules and arbitrarily walked across grids; some even gathered in crowds, crashed the fences, and walked out of the lockdown area, allegedly violating national epidemic prevention and control laws and regulations. These irrational behaviors have apparently increased the risk of cross-infection and the spread of the virus. At the same time, some individuals have spread rumors and incited emotions; Xu urged people not to believe rumors, and never participate in irrational, non-compliant, or even illegal actions.

Xu noted that since Oct 23, the public security organs have investigated and dealt with 148 epidemic-related illegal and criminal cases.

Xu said the public security organs will, as always, crack down on violent resistance to epidemic control measures, violating the safety of medical personnel and epidemic prevention personnel, disrupting the health and medical work, deliberately spreading the virus, falsifying PCR test results, starting or spreading rumors, gathering crowds and make disturbances, jacking up prices, swindling money and other illegal and criminal acts that hinder epidemic control, so as to protect the lives and property of the people.

Fu Xiaochu, member of the Standing Committee of the Haizhu District Committee and the Executive Deputy Head of Haizhu District, said that Haizhu District will standardize and do well in its evacuation efforts. Residential units and buildings where new infections haven't been detected for more than three consecutive days should register those who are willing to return to their hometown and collect their negative PCR test results over the recent five days. A list of individuals to be put under centralized health monitoring will be formed, of whom receive negative PCR test results for three consecutive days will be offered ticket-buying and related traveling services with the district's timely efforts to reach out to the local CDC at their destinations. By far, 913 people have returned to their hometowns.

According to Fu, over 100 kinds of commonly used medicines are available in the 40 medical service stations of the lockdown areas and one or two full-time volunteers are assigned in each grid to offer door-to-door medicine delivery services and follow up on residents' medical needs. Residents can place orders in e-commerce platforms, online malls of pharmacy chains and "Suikang Medicine" on the Suikang WeChat mini-program. Internet Hospital platforms also entrust designated vehicles for medicine delivery.

Fu suggested that placing orders online should be a preferred choice for residents and reminded them to leave their address or pick-up sites in the orders to facilitate timely delivery.