China beefs up laws to handle epidemics, protect whistleblowers
Medical workers take swab samples from residents to be tested for the Covid-19 coronavirus, on a street in, Wuhan in China's central Hubei province, on May 15, 2020.
The new biosecurity law, approved by lawmakers on Saturday, flags the right to report "acts that endanger biosecurity" and calls for risk prevention systems, ranging from active monitoring to emergency plans.
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.
Beijing,
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.
