China offers cash rewards to those who report suspected Covid-19 cases
China has launched an initiative to encourage health authorities and citizens to report new or suspected Covid-19 cases to curb the spread of the disease.
 |
| Taking Covid-19 test samples in Nanjing, Jiangsu province on July 21. Photo: Reuters |
The South China Morning Post (Hong Kong, China) reported that authorities in Fuxin City, Liaoning Province announced on August 5 that medical facilities would be rewarded 100,000 yuan (about 15,500 USD) if they reported suspected Covid-19 cases.
In May, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, offered to give people up to 6,000 yuan if they reported violations in local medical facilities, such as hospitals not testing patients…
All levels of disease control and prevention agencies in China are mandated to report cases of infectious diseases. However, many officials are reluctant to report new cases in their areas for fear of reprimand.
Xinhua news agency quoted Vice Premier Sun Chunlan as saying that local leaders need to report positive cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus and quarantine close contacts to minimize the risk of the pandemic spreading.
She said the outbreak in Zhengzhou originated from a case that came from outside and was treated at a local hospital, so local officials should learn from this incident. “Hospital directors and medical staff must take responsibility and have zero tolerance for hospital-acquired infections,” Sun said.
China on August 6 recorded 80 cases of domestic SARS-CoV-2 infection, an increase from the previous day and bringing the total number of new Covid-19 cases in the country in the latest wave of the epidemic to 591 cases.
