Chinese investigators target officials over coronavirus outbreak in Guangzhou
- Disciplinary task force set up to hold local cadres to account for flurry of cases
- Signs of easing with just six infections reported for Saturday
“[The investigation] will be held in accordance with regulations, party discipline and law to hold negligent senior cadres and officials to account,” the report cited Guangdong disciplinary watchdog notice as saying.
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Guangzhou tightens Covid-19 controls as mass tests expose more cases in Chinese city
Beijing has enforced a zero tolerance approach to the coronavirus, and punishment of local officials for small outbreaks has become common practice.
As a result, local authorities have introduced draconian border control and quarantine requirements across the country and few cadres have been willing to risk easing them.
Since May 21 when the latest outbreak began in Guangzhou, 135 of the city’s 18 million people have been confirmed with the disease and seven others have been identified as asymptomatic carriers.
Six of the cases were newly confirmed by the end of Saturday, with three detected in viral screenings of close contacts and three others picked up in monitoring of key groups, according to the Guangzhou government.