A customs officer measures the temperature of a passenger at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)
Minimizing the risks of imported COVID-19 cases has become a priority in China's epidemic control and prevention efforts, said Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory specialist, at a Thursday press conference in Guangzhou.
China has basically contained the coronavirus spread as a number of provincial-level regions have reported no new cases for days, but the new risks largely come from imported cases, said Zhong.
Imported cases often arrived in China with some symptoms, but not necessarily a fever, so more efforts should be made on monitoring the cases, said Zhong, suggesting that nucleic acid tests should be used for emergency cases.
By the end of Wednesday, 85 imported cases had been reported, according to the National Health Commission.
