China seeks reconciliation for improper COVID practices

On Saturday, China's health authority urged for a quick rectification of irregular COVID-19 control practices, such as extending quarantine periods and imposing prolonged lockdowns, and vowed to seriously seek out accountability.

Tuo Jia, an official with the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, said during a news briefing that current disease control work should be resolute, scientific and precise, while any action that oversimplifies containment measures, adopts a one-size-fits-all approach, and slaps on additional restrictions should be firmly forbidden and eradicated.

"Relevant authorities will promptly report these actions, urge them to rectify, and hold those who fail to implement full rectifications accountable," she said.

Since late June, the National Health Commission has set up a message board online to receive public complaints on improper COVID-19 control measures.

Tuo said that complaints filed since then mainly center on forcing people traveling from low-risk areas to return or undergo isolation, expanding travel restrictions to regions seeing no risk of the virus's spread, and broadening ranges of at-risk personnel.

Such practices have been observed in a number of cities, including those in Heilongjiang, Shanxi, Henan and Guangdong provinces.

Recently, some fresh inappropriate measures have also emerged , such as charging fees for centralized isolation facilities, imposing static management and widespread lockdowns, as well as changing color codes of individual health apps as a means to curb their movement.

"We have attached great significance to looking into these problems and urged rectification," she said.