China vows to keep killer flu out of border

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:18 May 05 2009]
• Comments

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said on Monday that the country's medical quarantine of some passengers who had traveled on the same flight with the Mexican man who was infected with influenza A(H1N1) as necessary.

"The measures concerned are not targeted at Mexican citizens and there is no discrimination," he said in a press release. "This is purely a medical quarantine issue."

Ma said China hoped Mexico would be understanding of the measures adopted by China and handle this matter objectively and calmly given the overall situation of jointly addressing the epidemic.

He also said China and Mexico are friendly countries and China attaches great importance to diplomatic relations with Mexico.

"China is willing to enhance cooperation with Mexico and make joint efforts to combat the epidemic situation," said Ma.

All the 176 passengers and 13 crew aboard have been located and those who remained in China have been quarantined, including Mexicans.

MORE INSPECTION TEAMS

In another move to contain the epidemic, the government has stepped up checks on people entering the country by sending another six supervision teams to major provinces to prevent influenza A(H1N1) from spreading to the country, the top quality supervisor said Monday.

These teams went to provinces of Shandong, Hebei, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei and Shaanxi and would work together with local authorities, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ).

GAQSIQ required all people entering China by air, land and sea to fill in personal health statement cards to strength control efforts.

The 6 teams were in addition to the previous 5 teams going to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou on April 25.

Also on Monday, the Ministry of Health said it had listed A(H1N1) under the category of infectious diseases that warranted quarantine, and would quarantine people and material crossing China's borders that were suspected of transmitting the virus.