Pingyao boosts emergency epidemic response capabilities

To improve its nucleic acid testing capabilities, Pingyao county in North China's Shanxi province carried out a large-scale nucleic acid testing drill on April 17-18.

The drill's targets included all residents of the county. At 385 sampling sites, people cooperated with temperature measurements and health code checks, wore masks and underwent nucleic acid sampling in an orderly manner.

The drill is said to have further improved the county's nucleic acid testing organization, collection and information matching, information feedback and emergency response capabilities.

In response to the recent infections of express employees in Qingxu and Yingxian counties in Shanxi, Pingyao initiated an emergency response, strictly carrying out epidemic prevention and controls in the postal express industry. 

It investigated all postal express employees in the county and residents who had received express deliveries since April 7. Furthermore, it established a ledger, carried out nucleic acid or antigen testing and implemented classified management of different groups. 

In addition, Pingyao Makeshift Hospital – a pop-up facility, transformed from the old Pingyao diesel engine factory – completed construction ahead of schedule on April 14. It is expected to play a key role in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic in the county.

The pop-up hospital has a floor space of 1,600 square meters and consists of a cleaning area, dressing rooms, disinfection rooms and infirmaries, and accommodates 200 beds.

According to Cao Yiqiang, deputy director of the Pingyao health and sports bureau, a professional design institute planned the site selection and the internal area settings – as well as the application of information technology, the disposal of sewage and waste and safety protocols for patients and the entire hospital – strictly in line with the prevailing standards.