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China beefs up laws to handle epidemics, protect whistleblowers
BEIJING, Oct 18, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – China has passed a new law to improve
its handling of disease outbreaks — including protecting whistleblowers —
following a cascade of criticism over its coronavirus response and
accusations of an early cover-up.
The new bio-security law, approved by lawmakers on Saturday, flags the
right to report “acts that endanger bio-security” and calls for risk
prevention systems, ranging from active monitoring to emergency plans.
It takes effect from April 15 next year.
“Any work unit or individual has the right to report acts that endanger
biosecurity,” the regulation said.
“When a report is required according to the law, no work unit or individual
shall conceal (it)… or hinder others from making a report,” it added on
infectious diseases and epidemics.
China’s approval of the law comes in the face of Western criticism on the
coronavirus, over accusations that it covered up the initial outbreak and
silenced early whistleblowers.
But China has been trying to reshape this narrative, with authorities
seeking instead to model the country as a vanguard in the pandemic fight.
Although doctor Li Wenliang who alerted colleagues to the new coronavirus
in late December was at first reprimanded, a national outpouring of grief and
anger over his death prompted Beijing to redirect criticism to local
officials and subsequently paint him as a hero.
President Xi Jinping in February raised the need to speed up establishing
the biosecurity law, urging for reforms of mechanisms to prevent major
outbreaks.
Under the new law, those who conceal information, omit making reports or
prevent others from reporting infectious diseases could be given warnings or
suspended.
The new law also calls for systems including to regularly monitor biosafety
risks, and to trace the origins of incidents.
Disease prevention agencies are also to help predict the occurrence and
prevalence of emerging diseases.
Based on these predictions, authorities should announce warnings and adopt
prevention measures.
Although Beijing established an information system after the 2002-2003 SARS
outbreak that allowed for real-time reports of outbreaks, provincial
authorities came under fire during the coronavirus outbreak for perceived
incompetence, including delays in announcing the public health emergency.
The new biosecurity law also takes aim at the management of research
facilities, flagging the need for emergency plans for biosafety incidents.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1657 hrs