Latest Novel Coronavirus (NCP) Updates (Feb 10)

English Abbreviation of the "New Coronavirus Pneumonia"

The National Health Commission of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held a press conference on February 8 to introduce "NCP" as the official temporary abbreviation to be used for the new (or novel) coronavirus pneumonia. Hopefully this will help reduce the number of people that choose to refer to the virus as the Wuhan virus or other seemingly xenophobic names.

Source: “新冠肺炎”英文简称定了！

The Numbers are Dropping But it's Not Time to Let Up

On February 9, the State Council's joint prevention and control mechanism held a press conference where Mi Feng, a spokesman for the National Health and Medical Commission, said that the number of confirmed cases reported daily in provinces other than Hubei has dropped from 890 on February 3 to 509 on February 8, a decrease of 42.48%. This shows that the joint prevention and control mechanisms and strict management and other prevention and control measures are helping. Despite this good news, it's not time to let up and cities like Shenzhen are implementing stricter controls as people return to the city after the holiday.

Source: 刚刚，深圳新增12例病例详情公布！这一关键数据已连降5天

Registration Required to Enter Shenzhen

Those driving into Shenzhen (including passengers) are now required to register in advance before entering the city via the Vehicle Epidemic Inspection Station unless you meet all three of these criteria:  ① The vehicle being driven has a Guangdong B license plate;  ② Both drivers and passengers in the car hold Shenzhen hukou; and ③ The vehicles with the Guangdong B license has not been in an NCP virus epidemic area since January 1, 2020. Every car is still being stopped upon entering the city and every passenger's temperature is checked. 

If you are entering Shenzhen and need to complete the advance registration, you can do so by scanning the QR Code above. Declarations can be made anytime once you know your itinerary and can also be edited or modified as needed after submission by rescanning the code. Failing to register will lead to longer wait times and may result in fines and penalties. Foreign passport numbers are accepted as forms of ID; however, the application is only in Chinese.

Source: 重磅！深圳不限外措施将延长！这类车辆无需申报

If you didn't or couldn't register before hand, QR Codes can be seen at Vehicle Epidemic Inspection Station to do so on site.

The Airport Ferry is Running but There are Restrictions

Those in mainland China seeking to fly out via the Hong Kong International Airport can avoid the 14-day quarantine in Hong Kong by taking the ferry from Shekou, Shenzhen as arriving to the airport via this channel does not technically constitute entering Hong Kong. However, it is important to note that some airlines aren't set up to use the Shekou/HKIA ferry and some airlines are not accepting passengers coming from mainland China, so be sure to check with your airline before booking a ticket.

Returning to China Via the Hong Kong International Airport

We've seen a lot of questions from people wondering if they'll be subject to the quarantine requirements when they return to China via the Hong Kong International Airport. The most important thing to note is that the quarantine currently only applies to those that have been in mainland China up to 14 days prior to their arrival to Hong Kong. If you haven't been then you can safely enter the territory without fear of quarantine.  Click here for details and transportation options. If you have been in mainland China within the last 14 days, check the previous link to see if you fall into one of the "exemption" categories. If not, you can still take the ferry to Shenzhen BEFORE crossing Hong Kong immigration to avoid the quarantine. This is important as once you pass immigration you cannot go back to take the ferry. Click here for the latest airport ferry schedule. We suggest arranging your arrival time to within ferry operating hours otherwise you may have to camp out and wait at the airport a while.

You Now Need a Pass to Enter or Exit Your Residence

In order to prevent and control NCP infections, the city's Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters will strictly implement control mechanisms strengthening the closed-type management of residential quarters and villages in Shenzhen. All persons living in various types of residential communities and villages in the city (including its employees) must present their certification code or personnel pass. To gain their certification codes, residents of the community should independently complete their information online via the WeChat Mini-program “深i您—自主申报” (Code show above in "Registration Required to Enter Shenzhen" section)、official account “i深圳”公众号、or “i深圳” APP (Code shown below). The elderly, children, and other people who are not familiar with online operations or have no terminal devices such as smartphones can apply for online declaration by adult relatives living together, or make a declaration directly to the local property service company or community workstation to receive passes, vouchers for entering and leaving the community. The pass will include: the person's name, gender, identity card number, building and house number of the residence, and a photo of himself. All communities should work to complete the independent declaration of personal information and the application for the personnel pass within 5 days from the date of issuance of this work guide; which was yesterday. Unfortunately, all forms are only in Chinese. If you need help, click here to contact the English-speaking staff at NSIC here for assistance.

Source: 紧急通知！深圳全部小区和城中村实行人员凭证出入

Shenzhen Metro Passenger Flow Hits Record Low

The Shenzhen Metro announced today that although their passenger flow has been hovering at record lows, in the next 3 days, the metro is expecting passenger flow to increase significantly as people return to Shenzhen to work. "At this time in previous years, the Shenzhen Metro was at the peak of the return trip after the festival. The passenger flow of Line 1, 3, and 5 had exceeded or approached 1 million trips a day." On the last weekend before the resumption of work on February 9th, the passenger traffic of the entire Shenzhen Metro network (7 lines, excluding Line 4) was still only 318,000 trips, a record low. Starting February 10, Shenzhen Metro will gradually return to normal working day train operating hours and will continue to remind passengers to wear masks and take temperature measurements. All stations will also be cleaned and disinfected many times a day.

Source: 深圳地铁未来三天将迎来返程客流

Guangdong Schools of all Levels Shall Not Open Before the End of February

On February 7, the Provincial Department of Education issued a notice to adjust the school opening hours.The "Notice" states that in order to ensure the safety of the lives of teachers and students and physical health, according to the prevention and control of the epidemic situation, all types of schools throughout the province will not be open before the end of February. The specific start time will be determined according to the epidemic prevention and control situation, and determined after scientific research and judgment, and released to the society in advance. The "Notice" emphasizes that it is strictly forbidden to organize concentrated activities such as centralized teaching before the start of school at all levels and schools, and it is strictly prohibited for training institutions to conduct offline training activities before the start of school. The "Notice" requires that all localities and schools should make preparations for online teaching, strengthen management guidance for students during home study, and provide communication and answering counselling, recreational activities, physical exercise, and mental health counseling.

Source: 最新通知！广东省教育厅：各级各类学校2月底前不开学

Beijing Announced Death Penalty for Concealing Information

On February 7th, the Beijing Municipal Government Information Office announced during a press conference on the prevention and control of pneumonia epidemics of new coronavirus infection that concealing history of contact with the Hubei area, concealing the symptoms of fever, etc., and actively having contact with people in public, constitute a dangerous method of harming the public and will be considered a crime punishable in accordance with Articles 114 and 115 of the Criminal Law. It can be sentenced to life imprisonment or detention of less than 3 years, and more than ten years, life imprisonment or death. Li Fuying, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice, said that she has noticed that there have been cases in other provinces and municipalities in the country that have initiated similar investigations of related parties with the crime of endangering public safety in dangerous ways.

Source: 北京：隐瞒传染病区接触史，最重判无期或死刑

Pharmacies Restricting Sale of Fever and Cough Medicine 

Some cities in China, such as Hangzhou, have already announced outright bans on the sale of fever and cough medicine as they want anyone showing these symptoms to visit the hospital. Shenzhen hasn't gone this far, but on Saturday, February 8th, it was announced that these types of medicine could now only be purchased using real-name authentication methods. That means that those that want to buy fever and cough medicines, must register their ID number, mobile phone number, and current address. Additionally, pharmacies must inquire about their situation in detail, guide patients to seek medical treatment in a timely manner, assist in the investigation of fever-stricken people, and promptly report them to their local community office and relevant units if their body temperature exceeds the normal value. 

Source: 转扩！深圳：发热、咳嗽人员到药店买药需实名登记！

All Those with a Fever in Guangdong to be Tested 

The Medical Treatment Unit of the Office of the Guangdong Provincial Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters recently held a video conference where they announced the deployment of further screening and treatment of pneumonia cases of the ncp virus; including the requirement to collect throat swabs for the new coronavirus nucleic acid test from all patients that visit any of the officially designated fever hospitals.

Source: 最新决定！广东发热门诊所有患者均要进行核酸检测

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