BEIJING — In a bid to strengthen COVID-19 prevention and control measures, China's National Health Commission (NHC) has urged efforts to set up as many fever clinics as possible in eligible township and community medical institutions.

Acting to preempt the spread of COVID-19, such primary-level clinics should conduct pre-examination triage and ensure those with fever have access to services including registration, screening, quarantine, treatment and transfer, the NHC said in a statement.

Fever clinics are meant to ensure services to patients from the beginning to end and guarantee every febrile patient the right to get treated, it added.

Clinics should conduct nucleic acid tests and routine blood tests on all febrile patients. If the clinics are not eligible, such tests should be conducted in collaboration with other institutions, the NHC said.

Fever clinics should be isolated from general clinics in medical institutions and equipped with facilities for treatment, protection and sterilization. They should have professional staff with anti-epidemic skills.