Upgrades

Faced with the epidemic, governments at all levels, tech companies and local communities are joining the battle against the coronavirus by upgrading the technological aspects of control and prevention work.

Last month, President Xi Jinping said the battle against the epidemic cannot be won without scientific and technological support, according to Xinhua News Agency.

On Feb 28, the Ministry of Science and Technology published a notice on its website encouraging businesses to deploy robots, temperature-screening machines and other devices that could help to reduce human contact as the nation returns to work following the enforced layoff after the Spring Festival Holiday.

Big data is being collected on platforms to monitor the development of the epidemic, while drones are being used to disinfect roads and open spaces. Meanwhile, temperature-screening technology and artificial intelligence are being employed in the detection and analysis of possible risks amid the gradual resumption of work.

Residents nationwide can trace the latest developments of the epidemic and obtain health tips from online sources, such as WeChat mini programs launched by internet companies like Tencent Holdings.

An epidemic map, locations of communities with confirmed cases and information to refute rumors are available on the monitoring platforms, which aim to provide people with accurate information in a timely manner.

Cities in Hubei, such as Xiangyang, Suizhou and Xiaogan, have built online platforms where people can report developments related to the epidemic, search their travel history to see if they shared planes or rail carriages with people who were later confirmed as having the coronavirus, and receive a remote diagnosis.

Led by the local governments of several cities in Hubei and the e-commerce giant Alibaba, these kinds of platforms facilitate control-and-prevention work in communities by ensuring that people returning from Wuhan are registered and placed under observation.