VZCZCXRO8493
RR RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHPB RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1224/01 1271034
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071034Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3855
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 001224 
 
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, TF, CH 
SUBJECT:  TFFLU01: H1N1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK - CHINA SITREP # 6 - 
THREE MORE AMCITS IN QUARANTINE 
 
REF: A) BEIJING 1210  B) BEIJING 1197  C) STATE 45269 
D) BEIJING 1191    E) BEIJING 1171   F) HONG KONG 802 
 
¶1. (U) This cable corrects Beijing 1223.  Please disregard Beijing 
¶1223. 
 
AMERICANS IN QUARANTINE, QUARANTINE CHARGES, AND NOTIFICATION 
----------------------- ------------------- ---------------- 
 
¶1. (U) As of COB on May 7 Beijing Time, there are no confirmed cases 
of infection of humans or livestock by the A/H1N1 influenza virus on 
Mainland China.  One case was confirmed in Hong Kong on May 1 (REF 
F). 
 
¶2. (SBU) Post received word on May 7 of an additional three American 
citizens entering into quarantine at Ditan Hospital in Beijing. 
This brings the total number of current quarantine cases in Beijing 
(as well as countrywide) to four. 
 
--A family of three American citizens (50 year-old male, 42 year-old 
female, and 22 month-old child) arriving May 6 on United Airlines 
581 from Philadelphia were placed into quarantine when thermal 
scanners registered a "high temperature" on the child.  The family 
was moved to Ditan Hospital later in the evening.  Hospital 
officials refused the family's request for help in contacting the 
Embassy.  The father instead called Beijing ACS on the morning of 
May 7 using his own U.S. cell phone.  Hospital staff has taken blood 
samples from the child and have taken swabs from all three.  Post 
continues to be in contact with the family but has not yet received 
official notification from the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) 
of their status. 
 
--A 20 year-old male has been in quarantine in Beijing at Ditan 
Hospital since afternoon of Saturday May 2.  Hospital officials 
informed Post on May 6 that his quarantine period will end on Monday 
May 11, not May 9, as he was originally told. 
 
 
¶3. The American woman quarantined in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province was 
released on May 7. One other American--a long-term resident of 
Shanghai--was under medical observation in his home May 2 - May 7. 
ConGen Shanghai is in the process of making contact with both 
American citizens to confirm their release. 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Post received verbal notification from Beijing FAO on May 7 
that patients under quarantine "should not" be billed for hotel or 
hospital treatment charges incurred during that period.  However, 
Beijing FAO has not provided confirmation of this in writing. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Beijing ACS Officer attended a consular meeting with 
representatives from Canada, Australia, Ireland, Singapore, India, 
United Kingdom, Mexico, New Zealand, Belgium, Germany, and 
Netherlands on May 7.  The other foreign missions also reported 
inconsistent notification procedures and uneven treatment during the 
quarantine process, depending on location.  In most instances, 
notification, if it has occurred, has been through provincial 
Foreign Affairs Offices.  Those in quarantine either at hotels or 
hospitals report good treatment, and no one has been quarantined for 
longer than 7 days as of yet.  Two foreign nationals in Beijing were 
presented with hospital bills, which are covered by insurance.  No 
one has been asked to pay a hotel bill. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In discussions with the Japanese Counselor of General 
Affairs on May 7, Post learned that it is the view of the Japanese 
Embassy that quarantine measures in China are "drastic" and the 
Japanese will protest if they begin to "restrict diplomatic 
authority."  The Japanese Embassy's H1N1 response plan calls for 
drawing from internal supplies to provide antivirals 1) to 
diplomatic staff and families, 2) to local embassy staff (with a 
doctor's prescription), and 3) to the local Japanese population if 
 
BEIJING 00001224  002 OF 003 
 
 
the medication becomes unavailable on the open market.  (NOTE:  The 
Japanese Embassy reports that as of October 2008, the number of 
Japanese citizens in Beijing was 10,768, and 125,928 China-wide. END 
NOTE).  There currently are eight Japanese nationals in quarantine 
in Hong Kong, all of whom arrived on the same international flight. 
 
 
¶7. (SBU)  Post has received reports from area international schools 
that local health officials are now asking school administrators to 
begin a daily temperature monitoring program for testing students 
and staff, with a requirement that "high" temperatures be reported 
to authorities.  On May 7 Post issued a management notice to the 
Embassy community alerting them to this development and urging 
parents not to send children to school if they register an 
above-normal temperature. 
 
 
TESTING AND TREATMENT 
-------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Outbreak-associated H1N1 test kits and viral isolates from 
U.S. CDC were delayed earlier in the week due to the airline 
requesting additional information regarding the shipment.  The 
shipment will now depart Atlanta on May 7 (Atlanta time) and are set 
to arrive in China May 8 (Beijing time). 
 
¶9. (U) As reported by China Central Television (CCTV) Vice Minister 
of Health ZHANG Mao on May 6, China currently has 1.5 million 
courses of Tamiflu stockpiled and is working toward obtaining an 
additional 3 million courses. 
 
¶10. (U) ConGen Guangzhou reports that Guangxi Provincial officials 
have taken steps to incorporate traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) 
into its local prevention and treatment plan for H1N1.   According 
to new regulations, all medical taskforces (at the provincial, 
municipal, and township levels) are required to have at least one 
TCM doctor represented. 
 
¶11. (SBU)  The Chinese Red Cross Center notified Post on May 7 that, 
due to concerns about H1N1, a blood drive previously-scheduled to be 
held at the Embassy on May 21 would be cancelled. 
 
 
THERMAL IMAGING EQUIPMENT AND QUARANTINE PROCEDURES 
------------------------- ------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) The following additional information is available in 
response to REF C, regarding equipment in use at Guangzhou's Baiyun 
Airport to monitor passengers for H1N1. 
 
--Infrared thermal imaging system:  The GUIDIR IR236, a 
fixed-position infrared system.  This system is domestically 
manufactured by Wuhan Guide Infrared Technology Company, Ltd. 
 
--Portable, hand-held infrared thermometers:  The Fluke 62 Mini IR 
Thermometer (US company); the CEM DT-8861 Compact InfraRed 
Thermometer (Chinese company); and the Testo 826-72 (German 
company). 
 
¶13.  (U)  The following measures have been put into place to 
safeguard vessel transportation between Mawei, Fujian and Matsu 
Islands, Taiwan: 
 
--Temperature checks will be taken for passengers aboard the 
vessels.   Matsu Island travel agencies will inform shipping agents 
of test results prior to the vessel's departure from Matsu's Fu'ao 
port; Fujian's CIQ will also be informed of the test results; 
 
--The ship's operator will report any passenger suspected of having 
H1N1 symptoms to the Fujian CIQ; and 
 
 
BEIJING 00001224  003 OF 003 
 
 
--Infrared thermometers will be used to test passengers' 
temperatures at Fujian's Mawei Port 
 
 
CHINESE CHARTER FLIGHT ARRIVES FROM MEXICO 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶14. (U)  Local press reported that the China Southern chartered 
flight that picked up 19 passengers in Tijuana and 79 passengers in 
Mexico City arrived in Shanghai Pudong at 4:32 pm May 6 local time. 
The 98 passengers from 15 provinces from China underwent temperature 
checks, all of which tested "normal."  The flight's twenty crew 
members also underwent temperature checks.  All will remain under 
medical observation at a hotel in Shanghai for the next seven days. 
 
 
 
INTEREST IN H1N1 EBBS AMONG CHINESE PUBLIC 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶15. (U)  Based on analysis through internet diagnostic tool Google 
Trends, daily Chinese-language searches on Google.cn for key terms 
like "H1N1" and "Zhu Liugan" (common term for H1N1 in Chinese)have 
declined in recent days by about 50 percent from a peak on May 1. 
 
PICCUTA