Court: Police should block public health interference

The Guangdong High People's Court vowed to fight illegal undermining of anti-epidemic measures in the southern province, and said in a suggestion that law enforcement departments should implement concrete and effective measures to crack down on any such activity.

The court listed 12 activities, including violence, encroaching on the safety of medical and pandemic prevention and control workers, disturbing the health and medical order, deliberately spreading viruses, nucleic acid testing fraud, spreading rumors, money fraud, illegal assembly and causing trouble.

The list was issued to ensure the safety of people's lives and property as authorities in the country's most populous province are going all out to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus.

The list supports law enforcement and related administrative organs in the performance of their lawful duties and introduces lockdown zones, controlled zones and related layered epidemic interventions and quarantine measures to help block the spread of the novel coronavirus at the community level.

Meanwhile the list gives priority to the protection of people's rights and interests related to COVID-19 prevention and control.

Pandemic prevention and control work and people's livelihoods are guaranteed under the law, the court said, and the facilities, equipment and related articles used for COVID-19 prevention and control and residents' security must not be sealed up, seized, detained, occupied or disposed of at will.

To ensure the list is smoothly implemented and plays an effective role in helping fight the pandemic, the court will open a special hotline to respond to various demands of local residents.