A lot has transpired in the last 24 hours in Nanjing, especially in the COVID hotspot that is Jiangning District. And it is restaurants, rumour mongers and the elderly which are in our spotlight for today, as the main problems for health authorities.
As usual, first the numbers. And today, we are “three for three”. As this morning’s press conference revealed, the news is frankly terrific, with only three new cases recorded in Nanjing yesterday, 3 August. As a result, there have now been 223 cases of COVID found in Nanjing since the new outbreak began on 20 July. All cases are being treated in Tangshan Hospital of Nanjing Second Hospital (Nanjing Public Health Medical Centre).
Despite the encouraging drop, Nanjing continues to grapple with the outbreak, keen to clamp down on any areas of society that may excite the virus’ transmission. In many cases, those are physical places, but they also can be people. In particular, the elderly. Of particular concern, their love for whiling away their retirement by playing cards, mahjong, etc.
It’s a problem with its roots not in Nanjing, but in the neighbouring city of Yangzhou. There, the city famed for its fried rice has a new COVID outbreak of its own, and its not inconsiderable.
As of yesterday, there were 94 local confirmed cases reported in Yangzhou. Of them, 64 percent were people exposed to the virus in mahjong dens, reports Nanjing Daily.
The word “den” perhaps conjures up something illicit in a secret underground cellar. Quite the contrary. Mostly the domain of the elderly, they are often impromptu set ups in unused rooms in the communal social buildings within residential communities.
And in Nanjing, it’s proving difficult to persuade the elderly to find other ways to pass their time. Hence, authorities have taken the unprecedented step of setting up a hotline to report anyone who has been to a mahjong den since 20 July. That’s right, we’re now supposed to dob in the old people.
The hotline, for those daring enough, is 18260065669.
There are significant potential consequences too. According to Nanjing Daily, “Those who deliberately conceal or fail to report in time that which results in the spread of the epidemic, will be strictly investigated for legal responsibility in accordance with relevant laws and regulations”. Ouch.
It’s not just rhetoric, either. At today’s press conference, Wang Bingde, Executive Deputy Director of Nanjing Public Security Bureau, said that as of 3 August, Nanjing’s public security organs had investigated and dealt with 37 epidemic-related cases involving 39 persons.
Most concerned the fabricating and spreading of rumours related to the epidemic and hindering the order of epidemic prevention and control.
Elsewhere, anyone looking for a meal out in Jiangning yesterday found themselves disappointed. The district has closed down all restaurants until further notice. From its own observations, The Nanjinger can confirm this ban extends to bubble and iced-tea shops, ice cream parlours and the like.
We are still ok for our bread and sandwiches, however. Popular, foreign-owned bakery, Skyways, has been given permission for its branch in Jiangning to remain open.
Finally for today, a new service has been launched enabling citizens to query the results of their NATs. The system can be accessed in a variety of ways, including via the Jiangsu Health Link (江苏健康通) official WeChat account. Registration prior is required.
As of 15:00 on 2 August, more than 1.87 million inquiries had been made.
