Interview with H.E. Shi Ting WANG, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, on the situation of the COVID-19 Outbreak on February 20th, 2020
Q: The latest situation of the COVID-19 outbreak.
A: Though the situation is still serious, we have also seen positive changes in general. In China, the number of newly confirmed and suspected cases have been declining continuously. The death toll remained low and the cure rate has been rising significantly.
The number of confirmed cases per day in China had dropped from 3,887 on 4 February to 394 on 19 February. The number of newly confirmed cases in provinces except Hubei has dropped from 890 on February 3 to 45 on February 19.
Up to February 19, 2,118 people have died of COVID-19 nationwide, with a mortality rate of about 2.5% – compared to 10% for the SARS epidemic, 35% for the MERS epidemic and about 50% of the Ebola epidemic – and 0.6% in provinces except Hubei. Since February 12, more than 1,000 people have been cured per day. As of February 19, 1,779 people have been cured a day, and 16,155 people in total up to yesterday have been discharged from hospital.
There are tens of millions of foreigners in China, including half a million foreign students. Up to now, only 27 foreigners have been infected with COVID-19 in China and only two of them died of the virus. There is only one African student in China infected and has already been cured and discharged. The infection rate for the foreign students in China is about 1 VS 500,000 (0.0002%) and the cure rate is 100%. No Ghanaian student is infected.
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In comparison with the 2009 H1N1 virus, which originated in the United States and spread to 214 countries and regions worldwide affecting as many as 61 million people and killing about 300,000. The COVID-19 had affected only 25 countries with only 1051 people infected and 7 death outside China. Most of the confirmed cases outside China had been caused by the evacuation of their citizens as well as Japan’s Diamond Princess Cruise ship incident. If one subtracts the 621 confirmed cases on the Diamond Princess Cruise ship, there are only over 300 confirmed cases in 25 countries outside China which is less than 1 percent of cases in China.
As new effective drugs are being developed, please rest assured that China has every confidence, capacity and determination to win a full victory against the epidemic very soon.
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Q: What about the life of Ghanaian students in Wuhan? Could they get sufficient food and daily necessities?
A: Like the students’ parents, I follow the development of the epidemic every day and pay close attention to their status. The Chinese government has pledged to provide continuous supply of necessities to foreign students in Wuhan city and Hubei province. The provision of necessities is sufficient.
As far as I learn, each and every university in Wuhan has set up special working team to take care of the foreign students, including Ghanaian students. University supermarkets have adequate supplies on food and necessities. Foreign students can buy food whenever they need in the supermarket online. The universities distribute free three meals a day in addition to free masks, thermometers, disinfectants and other materials to foreign students and also help foreign students to buy daily necessities .
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I would also like to take the opportunity to say that the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and your Embassy in China have also done a commendable job in term of assisting Ghanaian students in China. Your government has sent money and food and others to the students and your Embassy has kept a close eye on the students and linking up with relevant authority in China to make sure everyone is safe and sound.
Q: Some students are worried that they will also be infected if they stay in Wuhan, What’s your comment?
A: The foreign office of Hubei province and universities are working hard to keep the students safe. The universities keep doing routing inspection and monitoring temperature of every student on the daily basis. The Chinese municipal government has published 24-hour English speaking service hotline for the foreigners including the Ghanaian students. If any student feels unwell, the local government would respond immediately and arrange the student for medical treatment in time. Up to now, no Ghanaian student in China gets infected of the COVID-19.
Q: Some Ghanaian students said that they were living in dread. What measures has China taken to calm down the students?
A: Since the outbreak, the Chinese government and psychotherapy professionals have implemented rapid and comprehensive public health emergency interventions on counseling students. The foreign office of Hubei Province publishes the latest update of epidemic in foreign languages such as English, French etc. to enable the students know what is happening outside. We have also set up 24-hour counseling hotline for the students to relieve their anxiety and panic. Most of the Ghanaian students in Wuhan are in good health and stable mood.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Ghana is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ministry of Health and the Ghanaian Embassy in Beijing to strengthen the protection to Ghanaian students in China. We highly commend the Ghanaian government on its scientific approach and timely response in face of the epidemic. And we believe that, under the joint efforts of both sides, Ghanaian students in Wuhan are safe now.
Q: Recently, there are calls for the evacuation of students from Wuhan, the epicenter. What’s your suggestion?
A: We understand their concerns. It’s normal and intelligible for those Ghanaian students in Wuhan and their parents to request for evacuation. However, the facts have demonstrated that it’s the most safest choice for foreigners to stay in China and abide by the COVID-19 prevention measures of the Chinese government because the long distance international travel will highly increase the risks of COVID-19 virus infection. For instance, US and other countries have not only evacuated their nationals back home, but also brought COVID-19 virus back to their home countries, which will undoubtedly threaten the health and safety of their families and friends and spread the epidemic worldwide.
It’s safe for Ghanaian students to stay in China at present. The Chinese government will ensure that they have sufficient food ,drinking water and other logistic support..We will also provide excellent medical service if necessary. Rumors that the Ghanaian students in Hubei province and Wuhan city are starving with no food and water are not true.
Q: After the outbreak of the epidemic, the international community has commended China for its effective efforts to contain the COVID-19 disease. But still, some people criticized China for so-called inadequate response. What’s your comment?
A: After the outbreak, the Chinese government and the Chinese people, under the strong leadership of the Chinese President H.E. Xi Jinping, have taken prompt actions and powerful measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 epidemic and have stabilized the situation. No other countries can do that in such short time.
First of all, China has contained the spread of COVID-19 epidemic in China and prevent its spreading to other parts of the world within very short time. No other countries can do that in face of such a huge challenge.
Secondly, China has set up two hospitals for infectious diseases with 2,600 beds in Wuhan within just ten days and established 15 mobile hospitals with more than 10,000 beds in Hubei Province. No other countries can do that.
Thirdly, 1.4 billion Chinese people have complied with home quarantine voluntarily for two weeks or more, which has effectively stop further spread of the epidemic in China and outside world with very short time. The Chinese government and Chinese people have made great contributions and sacrifice. Can any other countries do that?
Fourthly, The Chinese Central Government has mobilized 32,000 medical personnel and huge medical and necessary supply from other provinces across China and rushed to the rescue of Wuhan and Hubei province. No other countries can do that.
To sum up, China’s fight against COVID-19 disease has fully shown the advantages of the socialist system. We are very confident that China will win the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic very soon.
Q: Some foreign financial institutions and media believe that the COVID-19 epidemic will trigger domino effect on China’s economy, have a major impact on global supply chain and lead to a slowdown in world economic growth. What is your comment?
A: We believe the economic fundamentals supporting China’s long-term growth will remain unchanged, and we are capable of minimizing the epidemic’s impact on China’s economy. In fact, international institutions including the IMF and the World Bank notes that China has enough policy space to deal with the epidemic and China’s efforts have effectively reduced the risks the world economy may be exposed to.
At present, China’s GDP accounts for around 16 percent of the global total GDP and contributes over 30 percent to world economic growth. If our economy is impacted, there will inevitably be spillover effects on other countries and even the world economy. Therefore, by fighting against the COVID-19, China is safeguarding both its own and also the world. When you are supporting and helping China, you are in fact safeguarding the common interests of all countries.
Q: What’s your comment if we compare the COVID-19 epidemic and Ebola virus epidemic?
A: The COVID-19 epidemic could outbreak in any other country. Mankind is a community with a shared future. We are supposed to help each other and make joint efforts to deal with similar challenges. For example, during the outbreak of Ebola in 2014, China took the lead to send 23 chartered planes within 3 months, transported over 1,000 medical personnel and huge medical supply to three most-infected countries in West Africa and provided emergency aids worth of 150 million US dollars. China didn’t evacuate any citizens including diplomats, which fully demonstrated the firm friendship between China and Africa. A friend in need is a friend indeed. We are real good friends.
On the contrary, some other countries took the lead to evacuate diplomats and citizens during Ebola outbreak in 2014. Likewise some country, disregarding professional suggestions of World Health Organization, also took the lead to evacuate its nationals from China and created panic in the international community.
As Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization said, there is no need to overreact or panic. We should put up measures based on science and facts.
