Asymptomatic cases prompt NE border city to recheck people arriving since January

By Wan Lin Source:Global Times Published: 2020/3/3 14:42:14 Last Updated: 2020/3/3 19:32:14



A woman stands at a sign showing the national flags of China and North Korea on Friday at the Yalu River bank in Dandong, Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

A city in Northeast China has started a new round of screening of people who have arrived since January 18, after two asymptomatic infections with an incubation period of more than one month were confirmed. 

The government of Dandong in Liaoning Province issued an emergency notice on Monday of a new round of checks, classification and registration of people who returned to the city about six weeks ago.

Dandong is only one river away from North Korea's Sinuiju.

The notice came after the city reported two new cases of asymptomatic infection with an incubation period of more than one month. 

One of the latest confirmed patients was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Saturday in the city's Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County, two weeks after the onset of symptoms, according to a press conference held by the city government on Monday. 

Sun Ziyun, Party secretary and director of the health bureau of Kuandian, was dismissed for his inadequate prevention and control work after the province raised the level of emergency response from Level I to Level III on February 22, reported Dandong News on Sunday. 

The city vowed to ensure full coverage of door-to-door screening, adding that no one would be missed. 

A 57-year-old employee at a local bank, surnamed Wan, who returned to Dandong from Beijing on February 7, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the bank rechecked with him on his travel and contact history, health status and self-quarantine period Tuesday afternoon. He finished his isolation 10 days ago. 

Among 11 cases reported in Dandong, seven have already been discharged from hospital, reports said. 

A member of the city's epidemic prevention and control working group told the Global Times on Tuesday that the city's prevention work is strengthening as the number of confirmed cases rose. 

"The government is very cautious about imported cases from neighboring countries as well," he said, noting that all people who fly from South Korea and Japan will be sent to the isolation centers or required to be self-quarantined at home after arriving. 

The official picked up about 40 people from a flight from South Korea at the airport in Dalian,  Liaoning Province, last Friday. "They were all being tracked by the government after their landing." he said.



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