(Photo: CNSPhoto)
It has been eight consecutive days that the number of confirmed cases of
the novel coronavirus-related pneumonia declined in areas outside of
Central China's Hubei Province. It clearly shows the top-level
preventive measures adopted across the country have taken effect and
this severe epidemic has been put under control. Although experts are
cautious in predicting an inflection point, we have seen some light.
Chinese society has been striving for a turn in the situation under the
leadership of the government.
Except for Hubei Province and some
cities where the situation is still serious, inter-province and
inter-city transportation has resumed. Airports and train stations in
metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai have become busy again and the
subways are no longer empty as we saw a few days ago.
Preventive
work in each area has not been relaxed. A complete management system
has been set up and continues to improve in each city and county. Most
residential communities implement strict lockdown measures. Those
infected can be located very quickly, as well as people whom they had
contacts with. A network has been formed to fight the novel coronavirus.
Under
such circumstances, we think it is high time for countries which have
imposed travel restrictions on their citizens to reconsider this
measure. Hubei and its capital Wuhan as well as some cities in a severe
situation have been locked down, and the number of newly infected cases
in other places has been low.
When the World Health Organization
(WHO) announced the outbreak of coronavirus in China a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern, it did not recommend any travel or
trade restrictions against China. This is based on the fact that the
Chinese government has adopted strong and effective control measures.
China has not failed the WHO's trust and it has achieved the strictest
control over the virus.
Some countries have completely cut off
traffic communications with China and even banned non-citizens who have
been to China within last 14 days to enter their country. This is
serious violation of WHO recommendations. As the situation has
significantly relaxed in recent days, these countries should reconsider
and revoke these practices.
China is the world's largest
manufacturing factory, and one of the places with the largest human flow
on the Earth. Canceling flight to and from China has made many airlines
suffer huge losses, which also deals a heavy blow to the first-quarter
performance of the world economy. If all the countries keep their
measures unchanged, it means all sides will pay bigger cost from the
epidemic.
The coronavirus, which was just named COVID-19 by the
WHO, is harmful. But as long as necessary control measures are put into
places, the actual harm it can cause is very limited. So far, in major
Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the number of people who died
from COVID-19 are mostly below 10. In Beijing, three people died from
the virus as of Tuesday. But in the US, the influenza this year has
caused far more deaths in major cities.
As China has made a lot
of efforts and explorations to control COVID-19, it is completely
irrational to implement inter-country isolation to prevent the spread of
the disease. It is unscientific and also violates the interests of all
countries.
