More than 30 officials in four epidemic-hit provinces have been punished for slack response and ineffective management in dealing with latest COVID-19 outbreaks in China, which has been described as the most serious since last year’s outbreak in Wuhan, Central China’s Hubei Province.
The officials punished include a vice mayor, district leaders, heads of the local health commissions, hospital doctors and officials from the airport and tourism bureau.
In Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province, where the outbreak was considered to have first taken place, at least 15 officials received penalties on Saturday, including Hu Wanjin, a vice mayor of Nanjing, Fang Zhongyou, Party chief of the Nanjing Health Commission and Wang Chao, commander of the anti-epidemic control work at Nanjing Lukou International Airport.
In tourist city Zhangjiajie, Central China’s Hunan Province, which was a second hot spot of COVID-19 infections in the new round of the outbreak, 20 officials and public post holders were punished for slack response in dealing with the flare-up.
The long list of punishment includes district officials, hospital management staff, and related personnel to the local performance show for tourists. The performance for tourists has caused a massive spread of the virus to at least eight provinces and regions across China.
The other two epidemic-stricken cities, Zhengzhou in Central China’s Henan Province, and Yantan in East China’s Shandong Province, also announced disciplinary actions against officials and personnel who performed ineffectively in their management and supervisory responsibilities for epidemic prevention and control.
Fu Guirong, secretary of Zhengzhou Health Commission party group, was removed from her post. The Party chief of Zhengzhou Sixth People’s Hospital, a designated hospital for treatment of overseas arrivals who are infected with COVID-19, was also removed from her post.
The announcement of the punishments was made on July 31, one day after the first case was reported in Zhengzhou.
The Health Commission was urged to make adjustments to the management of the hospital after many of the confirmed and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in the city were found to be related to the hospital, including cleaning staff, medical staff, inpatients and their escorts.
The district governor of Laishan district in Yantan city, among others, was also dismissed for failing to fulfill epidemic prevention and control. Yantai launched its second round of city-wide nucleic acid testing on Saturday.
Residents get inoculated against the COVID-19 virus at a vaccination site in a stadium in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province, Aug. 2, 2021. The city of Nanjing has been organizing vaccinations from Sunday for those who are qualified to get the second shot in low-risk areas amid resurgence of COVID-19 infections.Photo:Xinhua
