While the number of confirmed SARS cases in Shanghai remains unchanged at two, local health authorities are pushing to enhance the city's prevention and control system.
The city's monitoring network expanded yesterday from involving 110 hospitals to all 588 local medical facilities and clinics.
Besides issuing a daily report, all monitoring stations must make an urgent report, either by phone or in writing, within an hour of being notified about a suspected case among students or expatriates or if three and more suspected cases arise within a limited area.
Since March, local health authorities have designated 110 major hospitals as monitoring posts, all of which have prepared to diagnose SARS and quarantine suspected cases.
After running the network for about two months, the city government decided to extend the monitoring system to all medical facilities.
Shanghai's neighborhood communities are also playing an important role in helping health workers keep an eye on those who have returned to the city from SARS hard-hit areas.
According to the Shanghai Health Bureau, anyone returning from hard-hit areas must stay at home for several days to ensure they aren't infected with the virus.
"Our center covers 51 neighborhood communities and 180,000 residents. Now, there are 51 people undergoing observation at home," said Zhao Xiaoming, director of a health center in the Beixinjing Neighborhood.
"If any one refuses to stay home for observation, we can force them to do so with the help of the police," she said.
Shanghai Water Authority has also promised the public that water will not become a channel for the spread of SARS in the city.
All of the city's water facilities have intensified supervision of water quality and extra chlorine has been added to aid disinfections.
The city's water network will be patrolled daily to ensure that leaks or pipe breaks will be repaired immediately and facilities near designated SARS diagnosis and treatment hospitals are to receive special supervision to prevent leakage of potentially contaminated water.
Thunderstorms are common in the season, and the Water Authority urged that rainfall onto roads be cleared quickly to avoid the spread of bacilli and viruses via wastewater.
The city's waterway administrative department has asked that all ships entering or leaving port be disinfected every day. Ship staff from SARS-affected areas are required to declare their health status before entry.
While travel within China is on the decline, many people are still coming to Shanghai from Beijing.
About 60 percent of seats are occupied on airplanes flying from Beijing to Shanghai, although flights from the city to the capital are only about 20 to 30 percent full.
At least 40 percent of the 40-plus daily flights linking the two cities have been canceled due to the SARS outbreak.
(eastday.com April 30, 2003)
