400 Chinese workers arriving in Montenegro: Will special measures be in force?

About 400 workers are arriving from China to the highway construction site because the company CRBC did not comply with all recommendations of the Institute for Public Health of Montenegro (IJZ) and delay the arrival of these workers to prevent the possibility of bringing coronavirus into the country.

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At the end of January, Montenegrin health authorities informed the public that an agreement was reached with CRBC to delay the arrival of nearly 800 Chinese workers, who were in China at the time of the outbreak, at least until April. On February 21, IJZ informed the Ministry of Health of the new circumstances.

"Bearing in mind the epidemiological situation and the fact that CRBC was not able to fulfill the recommendations of the IJZ to delay the arrival of workers from China or find a replacement workforce in the region, based on the Law on Protection of Population Health from Infectious Diseases, the Institute proposes to the Ministry to take a decision on the introduction of measures to strengthen health monitoring of passengers in international traffic returning from areas affected by the novel coronavirus infection," said a document signed by IJZ head Boban Mugosa.

Photo: Tanjug/AP

On the same day, the Ministry submitted to the competent institutions the decision on implementing health monitoring and measures to prevent introduction of infectious diseases into the country and their transmission to other countries, which was adopted at the proposal of IJZ...

IJZ sources told the daily Vijesti yesterday that China's CRBC first took into account the health institution's views by "terminating a contract with a subcontractor from Hubei province, considered the hotspot of the coronavirus in China. In this way, we avoided the return of workers from this province."

"Also, the recommendations of the Institute to postpone the return of workers until the epidemiological situation improves were taken into consideration. Given that China has seen a decline in new cases in recent weeks (the number of newly infected patients in China in the last 24 hours was almost 4 times lower than at the peak of the outbreak) and an increase in countries on other continents - it was agreed that the arrival of CRBC's key staff may be approved, but under certain conditions and with increased vigilance, consistent with the government's commitment to the citizens' health as a priority, as well as to the recommendations of WHO and other public health authorities which will ensure the highest possible level of protection of the health of the population of Montenegro and other construction site workers," said the IJZ response.

Workers' movement to be restricted?

The IJZ document dated February 21 states that the measures would imply restrictions on movement within physically segregated spaces inside the camps where workers are accommodated.

"Repurposing of one of the camps on the highway route to enforce increased monitoring over a large number of persons, adequate preparation of CRBC for employee training, risk communication, smaller jobs in other camps and procurement of equipment and materials needed in case of a mass outbreak of the disease among to workers" are the recommendations of the Institute.

At a press conference in January dedicated to coronavirus, Mugosa said that the majority of Chinese workers come from the most affected area of ​​Hubei and that nearly 800 of them will not return to Montenegro. Asked what the time period is, he said they would certainly not return within the next month to a month and a half. However, the Ministry of Health announced on Twitter almost simultaneously that "it was agreed at the meeting between Mugosa and CRBC representatives that workers should not return at least until April."

At that moment, there were almost 800 workers in China and 393 in Montenegro.

During a conference held two days ago, Mugosa said that a dozen workers had returned from China and that another 400, who are not from the Hubei area that is most affected by the virus, are expected to come to Montenegro.

IJZ yesterday reiterated that the workers will spend two weeks in isolation in China, and will have to present a health reprot upon their arrival in Montenegro, after which they will again be monitored for 14 days, reducing the likelihood of introducing the virus.

"Currently, epidemiological developments and risk assessments indicate that some hotspots other than Chin represent a much more significant and immediate threat to population health. Therefore, all future measures will be adapted to the development of the epidemiological situation and in accordance with available data," explained IJZ.

Yesterday, China's CRBC was yet to respond to Vijesti when asked what changed in communication with the Montenegrin Institute. They also did not reply when asked whether the Montenegrin authorities demanded the delay of the arrival of Chinese workers and the hiring of construction workers from the region, and why the company did not follow all recommendations of the Institute for Public Health.

(Telegraf.rs)