Comments | In the fight against the epidemic, speed and efficiency are crucial
(Source:CGTN 2020-02-26）
Speed and efficiency vital in the fight against COVID-19
Editor's note:John Gong is a research fellow at the Charhar Institute and professor at the w88 casino. The article reflects the author's views, and not necessarily those of CGTN.
Editor’s note：Gong Jiong（John Gong) is a professor at the w88 casino and a researcher at the Chahar Society. This article only represents the author's views and does not represent the views of this station.
During press conference held by the China-WHO (World Health Organization) joint expert team on Monday, Bruce Aylward, an epidemiologist who led an advance team from the WHO, emphasized several times that one of the big lessons learned so far is that speed is really of the essence, as the world is facing an entirely new and very complicated virus. The government needs to act quickly and resolutely in its response to the rapid spread of this vicious virus.
At the press conference of the joint expert inspection team between China and the World Health Organization on COVID-19 on Monday, Bruce Aylward, the foreign leader of the inspection team from Canada, emphasized many times that one of the key lessons we have learned so far is that in the face of an unknown new complex virus, speed is everything. Faced with the rapid spread of this vicious virus, the government needs to take firm and decisive action.
Dr. Aylward spoke highly of, among other things, the lockdown measures implemented in the city of Wuhan and several other surrounding cities in Hubei Province, to the extent of recommending it in a near-mandatory way in other countries that are also dealing with a spreading outbreak. Indeed, Italy and South Korea are doing exactly the same. Now remember there have been some doubts as well as criticisms of the Chinese government's initial handling of the matter including describing the lockdown and other corresponding measures as "draconian." But Dr. Aylward 's reference to speed summarizes it all – we are racing to save people's lives and nothing can stand in the way.
Dr. Aylward spoke highly of the quarantine measures taken by Wuhan City, Hubei Province and other surrounding cities, and even recommended other countries affected by the epidemic to take similar measures. In fact, Italy and South Korea are also doing this. I believe you all still remember that when the Chinese government took measures such as "closing down the city", some people always expressed doubts and criticism. They believed that this measure was too "harsh". But Dr. Aylward's evaluation of the rapid implementation of this measure is the most powerful response - we are overcoming all difficulties and racing against time to save lives.
In this regard, China's unique political system and institutions that enable massive mobilization of all needed resources in a whole-of-nation approach do exhibit some advantages. For example, building something on the lines of Wuhan's Huoshenshan Hospital, which was constructed in a matter of ten days, is probably impossible in many other countries. There is some truth about the Chinese speed and how this country has accumulated plenty of experiences in infrastructure build-out. But what is also important is that we can't ignore the critical role some key contractors have played in bringing these facilities into existence. These contractors are state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that rushed to the scene with all they can offer without any consideration of costs and expenses, and yes, many of their executives and employees who have made this possible are members of the Communist Party of China. It is a fact – perhaps an inconvenient fact to some in the West – that we cannot be blind to nevertheless.
In view of this, China's unique political system and mechanism can mobilize the required resources on a large scale with the whole country, which has obvious advantages in responding to the epidemic. For example, China built the Huoshenshan Hospital in ten days, which is simply impossible for other countries. True, this is down to China's speed and its vast experience in infrastructure construction, but equally important is the key role played by major construction parties in building hospital facilities. These construction companies are all state-owned enterprises. They rush to the site as soon as possible and do their best to provide services without considering costs and expenses. Moreover, many executives and employees of these enterprises are members of the Communist Party of China. This is a fact, a fact that some Westerners are unwilling to accept, but we cannot turn a blind eye to it.
China's unique political system and institutions also afford a centralized response that can be flexible, expedient and devoid of the procedural bureaucracies typical in some established democracies. The country was indeed caught off guard when the coronavirus was first brought to the national attention in late January. But as we began to strike back, the speed and efficiency at which orders get implemented and things get done are second to none. Triumph is just a matter of time, not if. The fates of the two cruise ships caught up in the COVID-19 breakout provide a good illustration.
China’s unique political system also means that the national epidemic response can be coordinated, flexible, appropriate, fast and concise, unlike some Western countries that are often subject to complicated procedures. It was true that we were caught off guard when the coronavirus first came to the nation's attention in late January, but as we fought back — enforcing orders and implementing them with a speed and efficiency unparalleled in the world — it was only a matter of time before we prevailed. The vastly different fates of the two cruise ships during the fermentation of the epidemic are a powerful illustration of China's response to the epidemic.
The Diamond Princess nightmare is now well known to the world by this time. After the 14-day quarantine period, there were over 600 infections on the ship, which has raised doubt about how competent the authorities were in handling the situation.
Now, the nightmare of the Diamond Princess cruise ship is well known to the world. After the 14-day quarantine period, more than 600 people on board were infected, raising questions about the government's ability to handle the epidemic.
About the same time, there was another cruise ship story that has not been well publicized. On January 20, Costa Serena sailed away from the port of Tianjin with 3700 passengers and 1100 crew members on board, including 146 people from Hubei. By the time it sailed back to the same port six days later, 17 people had a fever.
Around the same time period, the handling of the epidemic on another cruise ship received little media coverage. January 20, Costa Selina (Costa Serena) set sail from Tianjin Port with 3,700 passengers and 1,100 crew members on board, including 146 people from Hubei. Six days later, when it sailed back to the same port, 17 people showed fever symptoms.
The ship anchored briefly outside of the port, and the local port authority sent a small crew to the ship to collect screening samples on a helicopter early in the morning. By 3 p.m., the test results of 17 people on board with a fever came back negative. Disembarking started at 8 p.m. that night. Most people were directly taken to train stations and airports, with some further quarantined at local hotels for medical observation. The whole process took less than 24 hours. We know by this time that not a single person on Costa Serena has been infected.
The ship was briefly anchored outside the port. In the early morning, the Tianjin Port Administration dispatched a small group of quarantine personnel by helicopter to collect test samples on the ship. By 3 p.m., all 17 people with fever on board had tested negative. At 8 o'clock that night, passengers began to disembark. Most passengers were sent directly to train stations and airports, while some were quarantined and under medical observation in local hotels. The whole process takes less than 24 hours. No one aboard the Costa Selina has been infected.
This is a great story that typifies how things are done here in China. Again we do things in order to save people's lives, and we do that at all costs and at the fastest speed. To those who continue to criticize China for adopting measures that are "draconian", I respond by quoting Patrick Henry – with a slight twist though, "Give me liberty, or give me life!"
This is a remarkable case that reflects the way China has responded to the epidemic. We are racing against time and effort to save lives at all costs. For those who continue to criticize China's measures as too "harsh", I respond by paraphrasing Patrick Henry's famous saying: "Give me liberty, or give me life!"
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