Despite a downward trend in new novel coronavirus cases found in inbound travelers, China is not easing border controls and will further ramp up epidemic control capabilities at border cities.
The Chinese mainland reported 12 new confirmed infections on April 19, including eight detected in inbound travelers from overseas. A total of 841 patients with imported cases were hospitalized for treatment as of April 19, with 43 in severe condition and no fatalities, according to the National Health Commission.
Commission spokesman Mi Feng said on April 20 that the number of existing imported cases nationwide had been declining consistently in the past week, but the risk of new infections entering through the country's land crossings is increasing, giving rise to locally transmitted clusters of infection.
"We need to resolutely guard our borders and key border cities, improving their testing and treatment capacities, overcoming shortcomings and strengthening personal protections to cut off the spread of the virus," he said at a news conference.
The vulnerability of the country's land borders was thrust into the spotlight when a sudden increase in imported cases was detected in the land crossing at Suifenhe, Heilongjiang province, on China's border with Russia.
The city saw four new imported cases on April 19 among Chinese nationals entering from Russia via the port, according to the provincial health commission. A total of 375 imported infections had been reported as of April 19 and another 26 asymptomatic cases are under medical observation.
Other border cities also are susceptible to new waves of infection from overseas as the virus continues to spread globally, and stepping up their preparedness is crucial, health officials have said.
Zhou Yuhui, deputy director of the commission's disease prevention and control bureau, said some regions near land borders with Myanmar and Vietnam have inadequate epidemic control capabilities and lack laboratory testing equipment, epidemiologic survey techniques and treatment tools.
Most of China's land crossings with these two countries are located in Yunnan province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
"The pressing task for local authorities is to formulate targeted disease control strategies based on the latest developments, and identify and rectify weak spots," he said. "Each city must put forward its own epidemic response plan."
He added that provincial-level governments are responsible for assembling and dispatching medical materials to ensure enough anti-virus resources for such cities. National authorities will step in to provide assistance — including sending expert teams and delivering medical and protective equipment — to areas with many incoming visitors or those with inadequate preparation.
Liu Haitao, director of the National Immigration Administration's border inspection department, said the administration is also closely monitoring the epidemic situation in bordering countries to feed information to its risk evaluation mechanism.
"We are also strengthening cooperation with bordering countries' immigration control authorities and convincing them to take aligned and coordinated border control measures with us," he said.
The administration will continue to reduce cross-border movement to the minimum and increase patrols along main entry points as well as small pathways, he added.
In order to boost nucleic acid testing at entry points, the General Administration of Customs has promptly purchased new testing kits and allocated them to key border areas while adding manpower.
Song Yueqian, deputy director of the administration's quarantine department, said that recently, nine new laboratories certified to conduct diagnostic testing of the novel coronavirus have been set up and more than 400 technicians have been deployed to assist in expanding testing.
