Customs changes focus of coronavirus prevention

Local customs is striving to prevent the coronavirus from getting into the country from overseas through various measures at local ports.

Jiang Yuan, deputy chief of Shanghai Customs, said local ports have become new frontline in the battle against the coronavirus.

With city's transport, immigration, commerce, health and foreign affairs authorities and police, local customs has several new measures on epidemic prevention.

Epidemiological investigation covers everyone from countries stricken by serious outbreaks. More than 300 customs professionals have been dispatched to the frontline at ports.

Ports have worked with transport departments to ensure people enter the country safely and efficiently. The officers hope to never miss any key passengers that should be put in quarantine. Meanwhile, they have tried to raise the efficiency of customs clearance to avoid gathering.

Quarantine zones at the ports will be improved and expanded, Jiang said, and customs clearance will readjusted to cope with masses of passengers. Every flight's purser must report information that customs demands before arrival.

Temperature-sensing devices have also been upgraded. Now if a passenger's temperature is lower than a normal range, the device will also alert the officer.

Shanghai Customs has updated its health declaration card, which passengers need to fill in before entering the country. The new card adds items like occupation, entry or exit port, contact in China, address in the following two weeks, and countries and regions you have been to in the past two weeks.

Passengers are also asked to report if two persons or more in their family or workplace have a fever or other symptoms, and whether they have taken an antipyretic or cold medicine in past three days.

Jiang encourages passengers to fill in the card online via WeChat or official website of the General Administration of Customs.

The Frontier Health Quarantine Law sets out punishments for those who conceal information or lie on the health declaration.

Local customs has checked 18,000 flights, cruises and trains as well as nearly 1.9 million passengers. Officers checked and released 14,000 batches of epidemic prevention and control supplies, including 330 million masks and 6.3 million protective clothing.