Big data contributes to epidemic prevention, control in Zhejiang

By Li Zhongwen, Dou Hanyang, People’s Daily

 

Big data technology is being applied by east China’s Zhejiang province to enhance monitoring and controlling of the novel coronavirus epidemic, establishing a firm line of defense for the people.

 

On Feb. 10, a resident living in Dongfang Shangcheng residential complex in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province reported her house number to a community worker before entering the complex, and had her temperature taken by the worker who later recorded her information on a mobile application designed for epidemic prevention and control.

 

“By using big data to collect and screen information, our community has discovered and reported 15 suspected cases of novel coronavirus infection,” said Qi Qi, an executive with Hangzhou’s Goujunong community.

 

At present, all of Hangzhou’s residential complexes are taking temperature and recording information of the dwellers. Through the cooperation with big data platforms, they have largely improved the efficiency of epidemic prevention and control.

 

In Quzhou, a prefecture-level city in western Zhejiang province, a big data-based pre-warning platform has been launched by the city’s urban management system “City Brain”. So far, the platform has served 350,000 times for community workers in the city, allowing them to response to every mission with high efficiency. As a new tool of epidemic prevention and control, big data has contributed strong support.

 

Zheliban, an online government service platform of Zhejiang province recently unveiled a service and management platform to cope with the spread of the novel coronavirus. It allows citizens to report their own infections, as well as suspected cases. Besides, online medical consultation is also provided on the platform.

 

So far, the platform has collected 929 pieces of information about confirmed or suspected cases, and provided consultation for 13,055 citizens.

 

As one of the leading provinces of big data technology, Zhejiang has fully exploited big data to analyze the distribution and flow of its population, predict development of the epidemic, and guide the distribution of medical resources. Big data is playing a positive role in curbing the inflow and spread of the virus.

 

In order to ensure stability and order of production and people’s lives, the Zhejiang Provincial Market Supervision Department is monitoring commodity prices and inventory of 360 wholesale markets and supermarkets across the city on a daily basis through big data technology. By doing so, it is able to discover market fluctuations and maintain stable operation of the markets that sell daily supplies.

 

In addition, Zhejiang reopened the first batch of entrances and exits of expressways exclusively for cargo vehicles to guarantee the supply of emergency materials, daily necessities, and key production materials. Medical care and epidemic prevention and control personnel also have the privilege to use the expressways. Besides, the province has made a whitelist of e-commerce and express delivery enterprises and ensured normal operation of convenience stores, so as to offer easy access to daily necessities for its citizens.

 

Big data and information technologies are also used to help enterprises resume production. Starting Feb.10, Zhejiang enterprises have started resuming work in an orderly manner under the management of the provincial government.

 

By summarizing data provided by disease control, communication, power and transportation departments, Hangzhou was among the first group of cities to launch an application system for enterprises to resume production. The system also requests employees to report their body temperatures on a daily basis after their enterprises are approved to resume production.