China steps up punishment for breaching COVID-19 prevention measures

BEIJING -- China's public security organs are stepping up the investigation and punishment of actions that undermine the country's COVID-19 control and prevention efforts, the Ministry of Public Security said on Friday.

Enforcing the country's COVID-19 prevention measures, police departments across the country have recently handled more than 60 cases of COVID-19 prevention breaches and similar actions, said the ministry.

On August 11, police in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, handled 11 cases of local residents leaving the city with other people's negative nucleic acid test results, in breach of the city's COVID-19 control protocols.

The ministry urged the public to abide by COVID-19 prevention and control requirements. It vowed to handle breaches, the spread of pandemic-related rumors, and other similar behavior in strict accordance with the law.