CONSULATE GENERAL OF SWITZERLAND

 
22F, Building A, Far East International Plaza
No. 319 Xianxia Road
Shanghai 200051
E-mail: vertretung@sha.rep.admin.ch
Tel: ++86 21 6270 0519
Fax: ++86 21 6270 0522

Circular about Medical Observation for Residents Returning to Shanghai and Health Check for Visitors from Areas with SARS Cases

(May 8, 2003)
SMPG [2003] No.23
In order to prevent the spread of the infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome (hereinafter referred to as SARS), control and cut off the source of infection, and protect the safety and health of the public, this Circular is issued in accordance with the "Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases of the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases"), its implementation measures, and the relevant provisions of the departments concerned under the State Council, and in the light of the actual circumstances of this Municipality, we hereby issue this Circular as follows:

Article 1
This Circular applies to residents and people working and living for long in this Municipality, who return from the areas with SARS cases at home and abroad (hereinafter referred to as Returning Residents), and to visitors who come to Shanghai from the SARS-hit areas at home and abroad (hereinafter referred to as Outside Visitors).
For lists of SARS-affected areas in China and other parts of the world, please refer to the official announcements by the Ministry of Public Health of China and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Article 2
According to Article 24, Clause 1 of the "Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases", the Disease Prevention and Control Centers (CDC) at different levels in the Municipality shall be responsible for the implementation of necessary preventive measures on the returning residents and outside visitors.
The neighborhood committees and villagers' committees shall assist the CDCs in SARS prevention and control and be responsible for related service to and supervision of the returning residents and outside visitors within their administrative areas.

Article 3
When arriving at the road checkpoints along this Municipality's boundaries or the ports, the returning residents and outside visitors shall have their body temperatures taken, and fill out the "Health Declaration Form". The traffic agencies at the road checkpoints and the ports shall send the travelers' "Health Declaration Forms" they collect to the district/county governments concerned.
Anyone who is found to be with a fever or abnormal signs shall be temporarily quarantined at the retain stations, and then be transferred to a nearby hospital for medical observation. For those free from fever and abnormal signs, they shall receive a two-week medical observation at their residences or places designated by their communities if they are returning residents, or undergo a two-week health check at places where they stay if they are outside visitors.

Article 4
Returning residents may undergo medical observation at home if their residences are suitable for quarantine. The returning residents whose residences are not suitable for quarantine shall receive medical observation at the community-designated places, or otherwise have their whole families put under medical observation.
For residents coming back from meetings, tours or study trips in the SARS-hit areas organized by their work units, organizations or tourist agencies, the organizers shall unifiedly arrange for their collective medical observation.

Article 5
Sub-district, town and township health service centers and township hospitals (hereinafter jointly referred to as Community Health Institution) shall dispatch specialized public health personnel to or appoint SARS prevention supervisors for (hereinafter referred to as Supervisor) the neighborhood committees, property management agencies in neighborhoods with no neighborhood committees, villagers' committees, hotels and other places with returning residents and outside visitors.
The district/county public health departments shall provide professional training to the personnel recommended for supervisors. The personnel that are qualified shall receive certificates for appointment from the municipal public health department.

Article 6
Supervisors are under the dual leadership of the Community Health Center and the Neighborhood Committee/Villagers' Committee. Their duties are as follows:
1. Distribute the "Medical Observation Notice" and the "Health Check Notice";
2. Check on the qualifications of quarantine venues;
3. Give guidance on home disinfection and that of other quarantine venues;
4. Take body temperatures twice a day of the returning residents or outside visitors;
5. Make sure that the returning residents receive medical observation and the outside visitors undergo health check; and
6. Other tasks assigned by the Community Health Center and the Neighborhood Committee/Villagers' Committee.
"Medical Observation Notice" and "Health Check Notice" shall specify reasons and basis, time duration and dates, as well as obligations during the time period, and legal liabilities.
"Medical Observation Notice" and "Health Check Notice" shall be unifiedly prepared by the municipal public health department.

Article 7
Returning residents or outside visitors shall report, within 24 hours of their arrival in Shanghai, to the community health centers or the neighborhood committees/villagers' committees, or to the property management agencies in those neighborhoods where there are no neighborhood committees.
Local residents who provide accommodations to outside visitors shall perform the obligation of reporting to the relevant agencies as provided by the preceding clause.
The hotels where outside visitors stay shall report to the relevant agencies as provided by the first clause of this Article.
The community health centers, neighborhood committees/villagers' committees or property management agencies that receive the reports shall do well in making records and inform the supervisors in time. The supervisors shall then distribute the "Medical Observation Notice" to the returning residents and the "Health Check Notice" to the outside visitors.

Article 8
The recipients of medical observation shall perform the following obligations:
1. Do not step out of the quarantine venues;
2. Do not contact with outsiders;
3. Have their body temperatures taken twice a day;
4. Answer questions and accept advice from the supervisors; and
5. Report immediately to the supervisors when showing abnormal signs like fever and cough.

Article 9
For the recipients of medical observation, the neighborhood committees and villagers' committees shall do their work well in the following aspects:
1. Provide daily necessities to those who have difficulties in taking care of themselves;
2. Accept the report from residents and verify the report in a timely way;
3. Check the recipients of medical observation at least three times a day by visits or telephone calls; and
4. Stop the acts of the recipients of medical observation in violation of the provisions timely, and may enforce supervision through technical means if necessary.

Article 10
The communities, towns and townships shall prepare places for the medical observation of those residents whose residences are not suitable for quarantine.

Article 11
The group organizers of returning residents shall find places for their collective medical observation, report to the community health institutions and make sure those undergoing medical observation do not leave the quarantine venues or make contacts with outsiders.

Article 12
After reporting to the community health institutions, neighborhood committees/villagers' committees, property management agencies or hotels where they stay, the outside visitors shall also perform the following obligations:
1. Have their body temperatures taken twice a day;
2. Fill out the "Daily Health Record Form for Outside Visitors" and the "Daily Outgoing Record Form for Outside Visitors";
3. Answer questions and accept advice from the supervisors; and
4. Report immediately to the supervisors when showing abnormal signs like fever and cough.
The "Daily Health Record Form for Outside Visitors" shall include such items as body temperatures and the time when they are taken, abnormal signs, use of antipyretics, medical visits and legal liabilities.
The "Daily Outgoing Record Form for Outside Visitors" shall include such items as travels, time and venue of activities during outgoing, the travel means, contacts made, and legal liabilities.
The "Daily Health Record Form for Outside Visitors" and the "Daily Outgoing Record Form for Outside Visitors" shall be unifiedly prepared by the municipal health authority.

Article 13
Hotels where the outside visitors stay shall perform the following obligations:
1. Set up special floors for the outside visitors;
2. At time of check-in, check their IDs, employer address certificates or transportation tickets;
3. Report to the designated supervisors; and
4. Distribute and collect the "Daily Health Record Form for Outside Visitors" and the "Daily Outgoing Record Form for Outside Visitors" and submitted them to the supervisors every day.

Article 14
All construction sites and all work units with dormitories of this Municipality shall report to the communities, or towns and townships where they are located, on a daily basis, information about accepting and accommodating outside visitors.

Article 15
Neighborhood committees and villagers' committees in areas where there are outside visitors shall do their work well in the following aspects:
1. Verify the relevant information on the "Health Declaration Form" to be sent to the districts/counties, and report to the district/county governments any inconformity with the fact via communities, towns and townships;
2. When finding outside visitors who have not reported to the communities, notify the supervisors to distribute to them the "Health Check Notice";
3. Make general survey and registration of outside visitors;
4. Educate local residents who accept outside visitors, and urge them to fulfil the obligations provided in Article 13 and disseminate knowledge on self-protection;
5. Stop acts of those under medical check in violation of the provisions, and
6. Guide local residents to sign SARS prevention pledges.

Article 16
Supervisors shall inform timely the local medical institutions with a fever outpatient department of those who have a fever or abnormal signs during medical observation or health check, and place them under medical observation at hospital.
At the pre-check at their fever outpatient and emergency departments, the medical institutions shall check the social security card or ID card of the patients. If the patients are found to be returning residents or outside visitors, the medical institutions shall tell them that they have the obligation to answer honestly questions including the date of arrival in the Municipality and their local permanent or temporary addresses. A record of all the answers shall be made.

Articles 17
District/county governments shall set up supervisory hotlines, and make them known to the public. District/county governments shall reward in time those informants whose reports are confirmed true to facts.

Article 18
A joint meeting system shall be set up by the sub-district office, which shall include the community health institutions, neighborhood committees and relevant units. At these meetings, which are held regularly, the participating units shall exchange information on work progress in SARS prevention and control, and coordinate paces of their work.

Article 19
Any returning resident and outside visitor who act in violation of the provisions in this Circular shall be appropriately punished according to law. For those serious cases that constitute crimes, the violators shall be prosecuted for criminal liability according to law.

Article 20
The Circular shall become effective on the date of promulgation, and the date of its termination shall be announced by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government.

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