National health response teams capable of covering all provincial regions of China

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- In China, national emergency health response teams are capable of covering all provincial-level regions, according to a disease-control official on Thursday.

All provincial and 90 percent of municipal disease control centers have nucleic acid detection and virus isolation capabilities, Wang Hesheng, deputy head of the National Health Commission, said during a press conference.

Infectious diseases can now be reported within an average of four hours in an online direct reporting system, he said. Previously, the average reporting period was five days.

The official added that on a national level, the country has established a technological system capable of identifying 300 pathogens within 72 hours.

Wang said China has in recent years strengthened cross-departmental cooperation, increased its disease prevention and control capacity, and implemented a comprehensive approach to the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

As a result, disease prevention and control in the country has reached new heights, he added.