H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 21

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001705 HHS FOR OGHA CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID, AND PASS TO FLU COX AND MOUNTS AND COGH BLOUNT AND KELLEY SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR AMGT, MG, EAGR, HHS, CH SUBJECT: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 21 REF: A) BEIJING 1664 B) BEIJING 1636 C) BEIJING 1596 D) BEIJING 1548 E) BEIJING 1466 CHINA CHANGES H1H1 REPORTING AND NOTIFICATION -------------- -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Ministry of Health (MOH) has scaled back its H1N1 reporting system. As of June 21, MOH now only requires daily case tallies from the Health Departments in the municipalities and provinces and no longer requires case-by-case reporting. MOH notification to Embassy Beijing now reflects this new reporting system (as of June 21),providing only daily counts of confirmed cases. According to MOH, specific information about foreigners will be provided to appropriate consulates in the region though the local Foreign Affairs Offices (FAO). 441 CASES OF 2009 A/H1N1 CONFIRMED -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) As of COB June 23, China's Ministry of Health (MOH) has officially communicated information about 441 confirmed cases of infection by the novel 2009 influenza A/H1N1. Confirmed cases have been detected in 16 provinces and the municipalities of Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Of the 441 confirmed cases, MOH reported that as of June 22, 227 infected patients had recovered and been released from treatment. The remaining 214 are being treated in isolation at local designated hospitals. CONCERNS OVER UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN IN QUARANTINE -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In response to concerns from Amcit parents about children being separated from them upon being placed in quarantine, HHS Attache intervened via MOH contacts to facilitate allowing an H1N1-negative parent to stay with his 13 year-old child at Ditan Hospital in Beijing. Under current hospital regulations, only minors under age 10 are allowed to be accompanied by one of the parents during hospitalization. HHS Attache's MOH contacts reported that MOH cannot change the hospital's policy by increasing the age cut off to 18, but they did agree to facilitate on a case-by-case basis. TRAVEL ALERT FOR U.S. CITIZENS -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Due to the increasing numbers of quarantine cases of American citizens, and also increasing concerns and complaints from Amcits about quarantine procedures and conditions, on June 19 Post sent a cable requesting that the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) issue a travel alert for China (REF A). CA posted a travel alert later that same day. EPA OFFICIAL IN QUARANTINE IN BEIJING -------------- ¶5. (SBU) An EPA official who arrived in Beijing on June 20 to participate in a workshop hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture this week was quarantined on June 21, because a passenger sitting near him on the plane (UA 897 from Dulles) was confirmed with H1N1. He is currently under observation at a designated quarantine hotel and is scheduled to be released from quarantine on June 27 or possibly earlier. Post has been direct contact with both the official and his family in the United States. BEIJING 00001705 002 OF 002 PICCUTA