Officials in Binzhou, Shandong province held a webinar with their counterparts in Krivoy Rog, Ukraine on April 16 to share their experiences in fighting COVID-19.

Binzhou hosts a webinar with Krivoy Rog, Ukraine on April 16 to share its experiences in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. [Photo/binzhouw.com]

Vice Mayor Pan Qing discussed the measures Binzhou has taken in response to the epidemic. Pan said that the city government has always put the people first in the fight against the virus, as China has been stressing the need to prioritize people's lives, safety, and health as the top priority.

Binzhou quickly established an emergency response team at the start of the outbreak and took quarantine measures to reduce the movement of people in a bid to stem the spread of the virus. The city suspended all large-scale public gatherings and closed all schools and childcare institutions as well. Some communities also restricted entry to minimize the flow of people.

Pan said that the city set up quarantine facilities and assigned certain medical to treat COVID-19 patients. He also said that the city has adopted an approach of early detection, reporting, isolation, and treatment.

Pan said that the city's first confirmed patient was admitted to hospital on Jan 25 and all 15 confirmed patients were discharged on March 7. Binzhou has had zero infections among medical staff and zero fatalities among patients.

Medics from Krivoy Rog seek advice on how to handle COVID-19 from their counterparts in Binzhou, Shandong province during a webinar. [Photo/binzhouw.com]

The virus presents a common challenge for all of mankind, and solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons against it. Pan said that Binzhou will assist Krivoy Rog in its fight against the virus.

The city's frontline doctors in fields such as respiratory medicine, ICU, and infectious diseases also shared advice on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, Chinese medicine treatments, and protective measures for medical personnel.

Officials and medics from Krivoy Rog thanked the Binzhou representatives for sharing their experience in fighting COVID-19. The two parties plan to keep in close contact and work together to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic.