Shenzhen government publishes areas frequented by coronavirus patients

The Shenzhen municipal government publicized on Friday the addresses of 82 locations where the 134 people who have been confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus often visited.

It is a practice highly praised by locals. “Information transparency is much needed in this special period, and will be good for stemming public panic,” said Sun Bo, a resident in his 30s, whose wife is a doctor on the frontline of fighting the virus.

Of the 82 places, most are residential communities. The rest include eight hotels, two workplaces and one shopping mall.

“We want to caution residents in and near these places against the disease, and involve communities in fighting the virus. Gaining support at a grassroots level is key to strengthening self-protection awareness,” said He Jianfan, director of the emergency office of the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to He, there is no need to panic for those living in listed communities. The spaces have been thoroughly sterilized once the infected people were rushed to hospital.

Shenzhen has been disclosing the conditions of the people confirmed to be infected by the virus on a daily basis since Jan 23.

At present, the city has established a community-based mechanism to curb the pandemic, which coordinates efforts between property management companies, community clinics and related government departments.

A total of 662 community hospitals in the city have been playing an indispensable role in the campaign, as they provide residents showing suspected symptoms with immediate treatment and closely monitor the conditions of those who have either returned from the epicenter of the outbreak of the virus, or have had contact with people from there.