LA envoy calls for more understanding of China's virus efforts

The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles highlighted efforts by the Chinese government to control the coronavirus outbreak, while urging the international community to refrain from overreaction and anti-Chinese sentiment.

"Acting with a high sense of responsibility to people's health, the Chinese government has taken the most comprehensive and strict prevention and control measures, many of which have far exceeded what World Health Organization (WHO) and international health regulations required," Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping said at a news conference Friday.

Since the outbreak, China has adopted an open, transparent and responsible approach, he said. China has notified the WHO and other countries about the epidemic and shared the genome sequence of the coronavirus in a timely manner.

China has been "going all out" to reduce severe cases and fatalities, the envoy said. As a result, it has seen some positive progress. The fatality rate has dropped to 2.1 percent. The number of cured cases has exceeded the death toll.

The temporary travel ban imposed by the US is not helpful to the control and prevention measures, Zhang said. It creates an artificial panic that affects normal personal exchanges, he said.

The Consulate General has received numerous requests for assistance because several US airlines have suspended their flights, causing chaos for those traveling between the two countries, he noted.

Although there are some confirmed cases of coronavirus, medical authorities in the US have been taking effective care of the patients. Also, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other professional institutions, the immediate health risk posed by the virus is considered low at this time. Therefore, there is no reason to panic, Zhang said.

Taking note of recent instances of prejudice targeting Asians, Zhang urged the public to guard against xenophobia and the profiling of Chinese people or Asians.

"Reports on the recent occurring of some of these actions and rhetoric and those ill-intended attacks on China's social system, and groundless accusations against the Chinese government are disturbing. It reflects some people's deep-rooted ideological stereotypes, which we firmly oppose," Zhang said.

He also thanked the people in the consular district for their outpouring of empathy.

"In face of the various public health challenges, only with the concerted efforts of the international community can we defeat the virus and safeguard the health of all mankind," he said.

As of midnight Feb 7 Beijing time, there were 34,546 confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland, including 722 deaths. Also, 2,050 people have been discharged from hospitals after treatment.

There are 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, including two in Southern California. Another 325 people are under investigation for the virus, including 225 who have tested negative, and the test results of another 100 people are pending, according to the CDC.