The National People's Congress Standing Committee on Friday adopted a new law to regulate the response to public health emergencies and enhance the country's capacity to address such situations.

According to Xinhua News Agency, "the law on public health emergency response... put forward the establishment and improvement of a nationwide public health emergency reporting system".

It stipulates that medical and health institutions should report the occurrence or potential occurrence of public health emergencies through the online direct reporting system within two hours.

Any individual or group that discovers the occurrence or potential occurrence of a public health emergency should report immediately to local government, relevant departments, or the disease prevention and control institution, according to the new law.

It also specifies the establishment of a tiered emergency response mechanism for public health emergencies.

The new law will take effect from November 1.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Beijing has required faster local action for public health emergencies and improved early detection and containment.

Any individual or unit who discovers a public health emergency can bypass intermediate levels to report the incident to the local government or the disease prevention and control agency, according to a draft of the law. (Xinhua/Reuters)
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Last updated: 2025-09-12 HKT 19:23