China reported, for the second consecutive day, that there have been no new locally transmitted cases of Covid-19. However, global cases of the disease continue to surge. Over the weekend, the World Health Organization announced that Europe is the new epicenter of the pandemic, as cases in Italy, France, and Spain explode.

Here’s a look at a number of measures the most populous country in the world, China, took that has helped them halt the spread of Covid-19.

#Wuhan, China, where #coronavirus outbreak began, offers ray of hope with no new infections reported for a SECOND DAY IN A ROW and only 39 cases reported nationwide, government says https://t.co/uHDEJTgT9A pic.twitter.com/BRaEzq7FlG
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) March 20, 2020

Close Schools

China moved quickly to close all schools and reopen classes online. Chinese parents have high expectations for their children’s education. Students don’t just study during the weekdays, but often have schedules packed with after-school and weekend tutoring sessions and activities. However, that didn’t stop the government from shuttering schools and universities.

Although children seem less likely to become seriously ill, they can still spread the virus, infecting their parents and grandparents, who are most at-risk. Some working parents felt burdened doing double duty, overseeing their children’s education online while holding down a job, but their sacrifice has resulted in lower number of infections, meaning the schools will likely be able to reopen in the coming weeks.

Lockdown

While Westerners balked at the lockdown of Wuhan, where the virus originated, some are now calling on their own governments to take the same drastic step, in an effort to flatten the curve, or decrease the number of new cases, in order to alleviate the burden on hospitals and medical professionals. Residents of Hubei still remain isolated within their province, as the government slowly allows businesses to reopen. Since a second wave of infections is not impossible, the government has been strategic about both the lockdown and the transition to retuning to normal daily life.

Quarantine All Travelers

Outside China, many countries are requiring that returnees from international travel quarantine themselves at home. That may not be sufficient to contain the virus, though. For example, if a father returns from an oversees trip, he could return to his home and infect his wife, children, and other family members. What’s more, the authorities in many countries are not enforcing the quarantine, meaning infected or possibly infected people can still go to the grocery store, where they put strangers at risk.

China has taken the quarantine of travelers much more seriously. All travelers to Beijing, for example, including Chinese citizens, will be quarantined at hotels, where the authorities will enforce a two-week isolation period. China is not leaving a second wave of infections up to chance, as the only new cases in the country in the last two days have been from travelers from overseas.

Face Masks

Although many doctors say healthy people do not need to wear masks, China has enforced a strict policy that requires everyone, adults and children alike, to wear masks outside their homes. While masks may not be 100 percent effective in protecting healthy people, they are essential to preventing the spread of the disease because they catch the germs and droplets of sick people, including people who don’t even know they are sick. It takes two to 14 days to become symptomatic after being exposed. During that time, people can unknowingly spread the disease. That’s why masks are still mandatory in China. Not to mention, masks help people of all ages from touching their faces, which is how many become infected.

Here's What We Can Learn from China’s Response to Covid-19