Key meeting discusses ways to tackle threat from coronavirus

TDT/Manama

Methods to tackle threats from coronavirus were discussed at a major meeting chaired by the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health, Lieutenant-General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa in the presence of Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh and other senior Health Ministry officials.

The meeting hailed the continuous follow-up by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister regarding the situation. 

It reviewed the preparations to deal with the disease apart from taking precautionary measures with regard to granting visas for foreigners who had visited China within 14 days before entering the Kingdom.

It also reviewed the readiness to quarantine patients if at all required.  

The meeting also discussed the appointment and equipping of emergency teams to handle cases in all hospitals and Bahrain International Airport and ports, evaluation and follow-up of protocols taken towards citizens and residents of the People's Republic of China and follow-up of the latest developments at the local, regional and global levels, and the need to investigate the facts and communicate the latest developments to the public.

Meanwhile, China President Xi Jinping has stressed improving the mechanism for major epidemic prevention and control and the national public health emergency management system.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, specified the requirements at the 12th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform, which he chairs.

Noting that safeguarding people's life and health is a major mission of the Party in governing the country, Xi stressed the need to strengthen areas of weakness and close the loopholes exposed by the current epidemic.

Xi said the current fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic is a major test of China's system and capacity for governance.

Stressing the need to strengthen legislation on public health, Xi called for the assessment of revising laws and regulations concerning infectious disease prevention and treatment, as well as wildlife protection. He also highlighted speeding up establishing a law on biosecurity, stressing that biosecurity should be included in the system of national security.

Xi urged reforming and improving the disease prevention and control system to prevent major outbreaks, strengthening primary-level capacity, and improving a coordinated system for major public health risk analysis, evaluation, decision-making, and prevention and control.

Xi stressed improving the mechanism for major epidemic emergency response, and enhancing the coordinated mechanism for scientific research, disease control and clinical treatment.

The system of treatment for major epidemics should also be improved, Xi said, encouraging the application of digital technologies including big data, artificial intelligence and cloud computing in areas such as epidemic monitoring, tracing virus sources, epidemic prevention and treatment, and resource allocation.