An airplane approaches for landing at Beijing International Capital Airport in September 2018. Photo: IC

After 164 days, Beijing welcomed its first direct international flight on Thursday, as Air China flight CA746, direct from Phnom Penh Airport in Cambodia, landed at Beijing Capital International Airport at 6:57 am. The airport has taken strict epidemic prevention measures in order to protect the nation's capital from a possible outbreak of imported COVID-19 cases.

The passengers on the flight went through customs clearance, inspection and nucleic acid testing in a special area at the airport, and were transferred out of the airport by bus to a designated location for 14 days of intensive medical observation, a staff member at Beijing Capital International Airport confirmed to the Global Times on Thursday. 

"The airport is now gradually resuming direct international flights starting Thursday, as the COVID-19 outbreak has been contained," said the staff member.  

When international flights arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport, the airport will arrange for them to dock at an exclusive parking area at Terminal 3, and all passengers on board are required to fill out health declaration forms and take their temperatures, followed by epidemiological investigation and nucleic acid sample collection. Any passenger exhibiting abnormalities will be transferred directly to a designated hospital, while other passengers will be transferred to designated isolation venues in the suburbs for 14 days of intensive medical observation. 

People with positive nucleic acid test results, fever or respiratory symptoms and their close contacts will be transferred to designated hospitals immediately. By employing a fully close-loop management system for the entire process, Beijing Capital International Airport hopes to ensure that the risk of epidemic imports is minimized.

Ditan Hospital has currently been identified as the designated hospital for screening and treatment. Medical resources are being dynamically deployed in response to changes in the epidemic situation and the risk of imported cases due to increased inbound flights.