What’s new: Three health officials in Beijing’s southwest district of Fangshan have been placed under investigation by the Communist Party’s graft watchdog for alleged involvement in Covid lab testing fraud, according to an official statement (link in Chinese) issued Friday.
The trio, including a deputy director of Fangshan’s health commission, were responsible for supervising the Beijing Pushi medical laboratory, where six employees are being investigated for issuing more Covid test results than the actual number of tests. The probe into the employees was announced on Saturday.
The lab’s license has been revoked and the six have been placed under what’s known as “criminal coercive measures,” which can include residential surveillance, detention or arrest, according to local authorities.
The background: Beijing has ramped up a crackdown on illegal activities involving Covid testing labs and corruption, as a whole, in its health system. This comes as the country’s dealing with its worst Covid-19 outbreak in two years.
On Wednesday, the capital announced the removal of Yu Ming, head of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission. On Friday, Beijing Jinzhun medical laboratory became the latest Covid testing agency to be investigated for suspected law violations, according to local police.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Bertrand Teo (bertrandteo@caixin.com)
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