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Shanghai, 12.05.2003
Dear compatriots,
As promised
on May 9, 2003, here are some clarifications to the 20 paragraphs
of the "No. 2 Notice" from the Shanghai Municipal
Government dated May 8, 2003. A copy
of this notice is online. The English version can also
be consulted on the web site of Shanghai's
Municipal Public Health Bureau. This website also provides
daily updates on the situation in Shanghai.
Further
information concerning the circular can also be obtained by
calling Shanghai's hotline at 95120. The hotline is trilingual
and will answer questions in English, Chinese and Japanese.
The main
points of the circular can be resumed as follows:
- Residents
of Shanghai traveling to SARS-affected areas in China or abroad
must upon their return, submit themselves to a quarantine
of 14 days at home. The quarantine will include their family
members, for instance children going to school. The definition
of affected area is still unclear and is handled differently
by the various districts of Shanghai. It clearly includes
the "most seriously affected areas" like Hong Kong,
Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Tianjin, Shanxi, Taipei but it also
includes all Chinese Provinces where SARS-cases have been
confirmed. This presently represents 25 Provinces according
to a list by China's Health Ministry and is changing on a
daily basis. It therefore includes Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui
where a few individual cases have been confirmed. Suzhou,
Kunshan and Wuxi however, seem to be treated with a certain
flexibility at least as long as there is no confirmed case.
According to the authorities "more questions will be
answered gradually over the next few days", as far as
concrete cases are concerned. One of the problems seems to
be the long queues at the Shanghai borders on the highways
which is a nuisance to regular commuters.
- Visitors
to Shanghai are free to move about in the city but are subject
to daily medical check-ups. They must also keep a logbook
of the contacts made and the places visited. All travelers
are presently also being checked upon entry into Shanghai,
for instance at airports, train stations and on the highways.
The temperature is taken and a health questionnaire must be
filled in and handed to medical staff.
- Travel
to and from China. Travelers in transit through Beijing and
Hong Kong airports will also be subjected to the above rules.
This means that transit through Beijing and Hong Kong will
in the case of returning residents lead to quarantine. This
should however not be the case for a direct flight from Europe
to Shanghai.
The Consulate
is aware that many individual questions remain unanswered.
There will be a number of wrong decisions and practices by district
authorities. Should you feel that you are under such circumstances,
please contact this Consulate with as many details as possible.
We also recommend to use the various hotlines that the Provinces
have set-up. You are welcome to submit questions of general
interest to the Consulate, preferably
by email. We will try to answer as many as possible
or bring them to the attention of the competent authorities
during a future briefing.
Furthermore,
the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai is planning
an forum on the implications of SARS for Swiss companies this
week. More information will come from the Chamber
itself to its members.
A list
of hotline numbers and some interesting
web sites on SARS is enclosed for your information.
With kind
regards
The Consul
General of Switzerland and his team.
Hans J.
Roth
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