Hu orders preventive action on swine flu

Chinese President Hu Jintao ordered all levels of the government to take preventive measures against swine flu, the South China Morning Post reported. In a statement broadcast on national television, Hu said China must take “prompt overall preventive measures” including inspections and quarantine at borders and the stockpiling of necessary medicines. The State Council also issued a raft of preventive measures including the establishment of an early reporting system for potential cases of swine flu. China has yet to report any confirmed cases of the disease, but the country has stepped up efforts to monitor people arriving in China from affected areas and has banned imports of pork from Mexico and several US states. China was criticized for covering up the outbreak of the SARS epidemic in 2003.