On July 12, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau (BMHB) carried out an emergency drilling simulating a massive food poisoning outbreak. As a step towards a safe Olympics where the health of every participant and volunteer is safeguarded, this exercise involved giving first aid to patients, dealing with food poisoning incidents, tracing the source of poisonous food, etc. Its purpose was to test the readiness of local health authorities for coping with similar critical incidents. BMHB Director Fang Laiying, Deputy Director Yu Luming, and heads of related government departments such as the Municipal Food Safety Office, Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce, Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, etc., attended and observed the drilling.

 So far, health authorities at the city and district levels have established 40 Olympics emergency response teams and arranged 13 emergency vehicles equipped with medical examination devices. Round-the-clock (24-hour) emergency service will be provided from July 20 to September 20 to deal with sudden public health incidents and ensure the safety for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, and the whole city.