China's Response to Covid-19 - Quarantine
- COVID-19 appeared in December 2019
- State measures to inhibit spread begin January 23, 2020
- Convergent response (national government worked with local governments to create unifying plan)
- Mandatory reporting of symptoms to health officials, hospitalization if symptomatic
- Forced lock down of 15 cities in Hubei Province (50 million)
- Suspension of non-essential business
- Manufacturing facilities shut down
- One member of household allowed to leave once every 2 days (household ID), police checkpoints
- Forced quarantine of those fleeing
China's Response to Covid-19 - Travel Restrictions
- Complete shutdown of public transit within Wuhan
- Cancellation of trains, planes, and buses leaving or entering affected areas
- State enforced closure of roads
- Residents unable to leave without special permission (Household ID)Symptom Checkpoints
China's Response to Covid-19 - Expanded Surveillance
- Implementation of Health Code app
- Given a color associated with risk level
- Forced to scan at checkpoints, to take public transit, etc. (tracks movement)
- Inhibits travel (if of suspected risk)
- Utilization of thermal imaging (checking for fever)
- AI registering symptomatic acts (e.g. coughing)
China's Response to Covid-19 - Censorship and Propaganda
- Expelled foreign journalists
- Detained activists and journalists who reported on Covid-19 early on
- Calling containment a success
- Under-testing and under-reporting
- Wuhan reported 0 new cases (April 25, 2020)
Sources:
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-west-is-misinterpreting-wuhans-coronavirus-progressand-drawing-the-wrong-lessons-11585074966
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/19/chinas-coronavirus-lockdown-strategy-brutal-but-effective
- https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/27/china-free-covid-19-activists-citizen-journalists