Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

SHENZHEN has reported no new domestically transmitted patients of COVID-19 for 81 straight days and all the confirmed overseas-transmitted patients had been discharged from the hospital by Wednesday, the city’s public health officials said at a news conference Thursday.

The city had accumulatively treated 462 patients, including 39 imported cases, Wu Bing, deputy chief of the city’s public health commission, said.

“So far there is only one patient receiving treatment at the hospital,” Wu said.

He said although the risk of infection is rather low in Shenzhen, measures remain tight at some public places, enterprises and especially schools, which will see more students returning in the coming weeks.

Shenzhen checkpoints also reported no new imported cases and no asymptomatic patients for 30 straight days by Wednesday, Xia Xinsheng, deputy chief of Shenzhen Customs, said at the news conference.

“All truck drivers entering Shenzhen from Hong Kong must go through rounds of checks — ID confirmation, temperature checks, nucleic acid tests and community management if they stay overnight, and declare their health conditions online,” said Xia.

By Wednesday, more than 72,200 truck drivers using the city’s four land checkpoints had taken nucleic acid tests and no one tested positive, he said.

Since March, Shenzhen Customs has examined and released 1.47 billion items of anti-epidemic materials in 600,000 batches for export, including 1.42 billion face masks, 5.5 million pairs of goggles, 5.2 million infrared thermo detectors, 4.82 million pieces of protective clothing and 18,300 ventilators, according to the official.

As Hong Kong schools will start to reopen May 27, Shenzhen has worked out a plan for the children who have to cross the border to study in Hong Kong, He Qun, deputy chief of Shenzhen Office of Port of Entry and Exit, said.

“The plan needs further discussion with the Hong Kong side and will be announced soon after it is finalized,” he said.

With the spread of COVID-19 globally, Shenzhen has also extended its helping hands to sister cities. The city has donated 1.5 million masks to 36 sister cities in 24 countries and shared experience in COVID-19 fight through video conferences with Poznan, Barcelona, Kenya and Cambodia.

Shenzhen International Exchange and Cooperation Foundation, along with other industrial association and NGOs, has also donated more than 300,000 masks to sister cities and organized 6.5-million-yuan (US$900,000) materials in aid for other countries, according to Gu Ting, deputy chief with Shenzhen Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.