Locals and Foreigners Under Same COVID-19 Control

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Beijing announced at its daily press conference on the COVID-19 prevention and control on April 4th that all foreign nationals in Beijing are now subject to the same coronavirus prevention and control measures as those applied to the locals.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Beijing Municipal Government has given high priority to epidemic control concerning foreign nationals in Beijing, and they have been placed under the city’s unified epidemic control. All control measures are being taken in accordance with the principle of equal treatment for both locals and foreign nationals.

The COVID-19 is highly contagious. Even though we have by and large contained its local transmission, the disease is still spreading fast across the globe, and we are thus facing an increasingly higher risk of imported contagion. Of the six confirmed cases of foreign nationals reported in Beijing so far, four are imported ones. Beijing needs to curb both the local resurgence of the epidemic and its spread into the city from overseas.

The prevention and control measures currently enforced in Beijing are designed to ensure public health safety, protect the life and health of all people in Beijing, including those of foreign nationals, and guard against resurgence of COVID-19. These measures are consistent with the WHO recommendations and those adopted in many other countries.

All these measures apply to both locals and foreign nationals alike. Foreigners are neither discriminated against nor treated in a less rigorous way just because of who they are. Anyone, foreign national or not, who violates the Chinese laws or Beijing’s local regulations on COVID-19 control shall be held accountable in accordance with law.

We will ensure services for foreign nationals, such as releasing on a timely basis information and relevant policy measures in multiple languages, strengthening foreign language services, and providing necessary epidemic protection to special groups in need.

The vast majority of foreign nationals in Beijing are complying with the city’s epidemic prevention and control management, and have taken personal protective measures and minimized travel as required. Many foreign nationals in Beijing have also joined their residential community’s COVID-19 control efforts as volunteers, and such service is highly appreciated.

At present, the COVID-19 dynamics in Beijing remain quite fluid, and it’s now far from the time to declare victory. We call on all foreign nationals in Beijing to comply with the city’s regulations on epidemic control and support the control measures. We will, as always, provide various services for foreign nationals to facilitate their life and work in Beijing.