QUICK RESPONSE

"To compete with highly contagious variants, the sooner we detect an infection, the sooner we can take the initiative to rid it out," Ma Xiaowei, director of the National Health Commission, told Xinhua.

All the local clustered cases in the COVID-19 resurgence since mid-October in China originated from overseas. The resurgence has spread to more than 20 provincial-level regions at its peak.

When dealing with these imported Delta variant cases, most regions managed to contain the outbreak within an incubation period of about 14 days.

Aiming to contain an outbreak within an incubation period, relevant Chinese agencies have been making full use of the "golden period," the first 24 hours of a discovered case, to find those who were in close contact, isolate potentially infected individuals before the virus spreads, or before the infected person can transmit the virus.

Ma hailed the strategy as an essential procedure for China's fight against COVID-19.

"Quick" has been a catchphrase during the whole process, as only through quick action can the spread of the virus be minimized.

Shanghai has lately managed to bring a virus resurgence under control in three days.

Immediately after the three cases were reported, authorities there activated an emergency response. The local government ordered epidemiological investigators to arrive at the scene within two hours, complete the core investigations within four hours, and finish the epidemiological reports within 24 hours.