Recently, emergency drills for clustered pneumonia of unknown causes have been carried out in various parts of China, sparking concerns among the public. Some people question the motivation behind these drills, while others worry about the possibility of another outbreak.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media outlets, since February of this year, many regions have successively conducted emergency response drills for clustered pneumonia of unknown causes or pneumonia outbreaks of unknown reasons. Especially after June, more regions have joined in the drills.
In June, related emergency drills were held in areas such as Yueyang City in Hunan Province, Huai’an City in Jiangsu Province, Zhenjiang City in Jiangsu Province, and Chengmai County in Hainan Province.
In July, drills were organized in cities such as Liaoyuan City in Jilin Province, Panjin City in Liaoning Province, Huaihua City in Hunan Province, Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province, Wuxi City in Jiangsu Province, multiple cities in Sichuan Province, Chongqing Municipality, Heilongjiang Province, and Lishui City in Zhejiang Province.
Since August, drills have taken place in Lingshui County in Hainan Province, Hechi City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Shijingshan District in Beijing, Linze County, Zhangye City, and Pingchuan District in Baiyin City, Gansu Province.
Public information on China’s bidding and tendering public service platform shows that on August 1st, Henan Exhibition Research Culture Media Co., Ltd. won the bid for the “Emergency Drill Project for Clustered Pneumonia of Unknown Causes in Zhengzhou City” with a price of 375,000 yuan.
According to information from Tianyancha, the company was established on April 18, 2023, and mainly operates in the cultural and art industry. In March of this year, the registered capital was reduced from 5 million yuan to 1 million yuan. The company’s registered address is “Unit 6, Building 2, No.11 Qianjin Road, Zhongyuan District, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province,” which is located in the Family Courtyard at 12 Huoco Road, Henan Wujian Cooperation Road.
On August 15th, staff from the 12320 Health Hotline in Gansu Province responded to reporters from First Financial by stating that according to the Infectious Disease Department of the Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it was verified that at a national level, a plan has been proposed to conduct infectious disease drills in 10 provinces by the end of August. The main purpose is to prevent misunderstandings and panic among the public regarding diseases and is not due to any specific reasons.
However, the public remains skeptical of the authorities’ explanations, with some questioning the motives behind the drills, while others express concerns about a potential resurgence of the epidemic.
Netizens questioned: “After three years of experience, why the need for drills?” “Isn’t it just about isolating and sealing off communities? Isn’t that skilled enough?” “Have they run out of money for nucleic acid testing?” “Are they afraid of losing their skills?”
“Are they going to implement control measures again?” “Unknown causes?” “Is there a new virus outbreak?” “Is it starting again?” “Is COVID-19 resurfacing?”
It is worth noting that according to official announcements, the “National Infectious Disease Emergency Response Work Conference for 2024” was held on April 17 in Chengdu, Sichuan. The meeting emphasized that in 2024, the focus should be on “strengthening the construction of major epidemic emergency response capabilities.”