President Xi Jinping has vowed to win the ongoing war against the Coronavirus pandemic in China.
President Xi made the promise during a tour of Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak, in Hubei Province. This is the province where the first cases of viral infection was discovered. And the Chinese leader flew into Wuhan on Tuesday to inspect the epidemic prevention and control measures on the ground.
It is here that President Xi rallied authorities to make strong, powerful and all-round efforts to prevent and control the spread of the virus, and stop more populations from contracting the virus in Wuhan.
Speaking after visiting areas that are currently under lockdown, President Xi lauded the locals for heeding the call for quarantine which he said has played a major role in keeping the epidemic under control.
Get breaking news on your Mobile as-it-happens. SMS ‘NEWS’ to 20153
Xi, who also made a stop at Huoshenshan Hospital where majority of those who have tested positive for the virus are receiving treatment, noted that COVID-19 represents one of the biggest tests in his eight years of governance, as 80 percent of the infections — including more than 3,000 deaths — have been in China.
Xi declared a “people’s war” to fight this invisible enemy by mobilizing the force of the whole country.
“The prevention and control work remains arduous,” he said, even as he demanded consistent efforts to take epidemic prevention and control as a task of paramount importance.
He commended and expressed gratitude to health workers, soldiers, residential workers, police officers, local government officials, high-ranking civil servants, volunteers, patients and the Chinese people at large for the role played in combating the epidemic.
Soon after the outbreak, most cities were placed under locked down, businesses suspended while public events were canceled. The annual sessions of the national legislative and political advisory bodies were also postponed for the first time due to a public health emergency.
But after an arduous struggle, positive signs have begun to emerge. New cases of infections on the Chinese mainland have dropped tremendously. Most provinces have been reporting zero cases for days.
In Wuhan, the situation has turned the corner with more than 30,000 patients already discharged while the previously quickly set up makeshift hospitals have shut down.
According to President Xi, the epidemic spread has basically been curbed, even as he attributed the situation to the initial success in stabilizing the situation and turning the tide in Hubei province.
Xi termed the people of Wuhan “heroic,” saying the positive trend in epidemic control would not have been possible without their sacrifices and devotion.
