400 conferences to document the history of Beijing's united effort to fight the epidemic

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“Today is September 13, 2022, an ordinary day and a memorable day.” On the afternoon of September 13, at the 400th press conference on the prevention and control of the epidemic in Beijing, the Propaganda Department of the municipal party committee introduced that from January 24, 2020 to the present, it has lasted nearly 1,000 days, 400 press conferences, an average of 2.4 days to open one, with a total of 1,934 publishers attending and a total release time of nearly 20,000 minutes. The frequency, duration and impact of the press conferences on the prevention and control of the epidemic in Beijing are unprecedented.

There is no doubt that Beijing’s epidemic prevention and control press conferences have become an authoritative source for the citizens of the capital to obtain first-hand information on the fight against the epidemic, an authoritative channel to clarify the rumors and confusions related to the epidemic, and a powerful “ballast” for the public opinion during the new pneumonia epidemic in Beijing. 400 conferences are actually another number that the citizens do not want to see. It is a number that the public does not want to see, because every time a conference is held, it means that the epidemic is coming to us again. In the past three years, 400 conferences have proved time and again the seriousness and complexity of the epidemic prevention and control situation, while reminding us time and again that the new coronavirus is not yet far away, and the struggle against the epidemic continues, so we must never let down our guard. Recently, there have been several consecutive school clusters in Beijing, indicating that the risk of the epidemic is all around. According to the Beijing CDC, 15 new cases of new crown infections were reported on September 12; 16 new cases were reported between 00:00 and 15:00 on the 13th, and the only way to stop the further spread of the virus is to tighten the string of epidemic prevention.

The 400 releases are a record of Beijing’s history of fighting the epidemic with determination. From the beginning of the outbreak when we knew little about the virus, to gradually figuring out the transmission pattern of the new crown virus; from preventing the initial virus to fighting the faster spreading Delta and Omicron mutant strains; from fighting a blockade to normalizing prevention and control; from epidemic prevention and control to integrated economic and social development …… Beijing’s epidemic prevention and control conferences are all about the details In response to public concerns, we have documented the entire process of dynamically adjusting our prevention and control strategy based on the actual epidemic situation and scientific research. The content of the conferences changes, the policies on epidemic prevention and control change, but what remains the same is the persistent and firm voice of Beijing.

The 400 releases were not only information about the fight against the epidemic, but also confidence in the fight against the epidemic. This string of solid figures is the footnote of the capital city’s fight against the epidemic, which explains the persistence and firmness of Beijing: insisting on the general policy of life first and people first, insisting on the general strategy of dynamic zeroing without wavering, and firmly believing that the final victory must belong to us. Persistence leads to victory, and persistence leads to victory.

“Everyone has worked hard! Thank you all for your dedication and efforts, and thank you each and every one of you for your perseverance and persistence!” In addition to the key words directly related to the epidemic such as epidemic prevention and control, isolation, etc., what appeared most frequently in the conference was the citizens, and what the spokesman and the heads of the district governments often said was to thank the citizens. In order to keep the epidemic to a minimum, some policies will inevitably cause inconvenience to the public, and the troubled citizens will inevitably have some complaints. But the inconvenience is temporary and the complaints are about the virus. The people of Beijing understand the difficulties behind every decision and understand the original intent of every policy. The public’s understanding, support and cooperation with the various epidemic prevention and control policies formed an unprecedented consensus and synergy, which together forged a great steel wall of epidemic prevention and control in the capital.

The 400 field is another starting point, a starting point that is destined to get closer and closer to the end of victory, and the dawn of our battle with the virus is ahead.