Sichuan Province Releases Revised Emergency Plan for Major Animal Epidemics

The Sichuan Provincial​ Government has recently issued the “Sichuan Province Major Animal Epidemic Emergency Plan (Revised in 2024)” to effectively prevent,⁤ control, and⁢ eradicate ‌major animal epidemics. The plan will be ⁣implemented from ​September 5, 2024.

The Emergency Response Plan categorizes major animal epidemic emergencies into four levels: extremely serious (Level I), serious ⁢(Level‌ II), relatively serious ‌(Level III), and general (Level IV) ⁤based on the nature, degree of⁤ harm, and scope of the outbreak.

The Provincial Emergency Command⁤ for Major Animal Epidemics is responsible for organizing and coordinating emergency responses to ​major animal epidemics in its administrative area. The commander-in-chief ​of the Provincial Command is typically the deputy governor in​ charge, but the governor may ‌take over in the event of a ‌Level I or Level II major animal epidemic.

Municipal and county people’s governments are required to establish emergency response headquarters for major animal epidemics, which‌ will be responsible for organizing and coordinating emergency responses within their administrative areas.

The ⁣Emergency Plan emphasizes the importance of ⁤establishing and improving a network system ​for monitoring and reporting sudden major animal epidemics. Agricultural and rural ⁣departments at all levels must analyze the degree of harm and possible development trends of animal epidemics and issue timely warnings using a color-coded system: red for Level I, orange for Level II, yellow for Level III, and blue​ for Level IV.

Any unit or individual who discovers an animal infected or⁢ suspected of being infected must immediately report⁣ it to the local agricultural and rural department or animal⁢ disease prevention and control agency.⁤ Units that receive animal epidemic ‌reports must take necessary control and disposal measures in a timely manner.

In the event of a major animal epidemic, the county-level and city-level people’s ⁤governments and relevant departments must respond to the emergency in accordance with⁣ the principle of‌ graded response and adjust the warning and response levels in a timely manner according to the ‍development trend of the epidemic.

A graded response⁤ system is implemented⁣ for handling sudden major animal epidemics, with Level I responded to by ⁢the state,⁢ Level II by the provincial level, Level ⁣III by the municipal​ level, and Level IV by⁢ the county level.

The termination of the emergency⁤ response requires that all animals and their products in the epidemic area are handled in accordance with regulations, and no new ​cases appear after at least the longest incubation period of the disease.

The Emergency Plan also requires that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs conduct drills every year to test⁢ the reserve team’s emergency response capabilities to​ extinguish the epidemic.