NINE officials in Zhengzhou, capital city of Central China’s Henan Province, have been punished for their sluggish response and ineffective management in dealing with the latest COVID-19 outbreak in the city, according to an announcement Henan’s discipline watchdog made Saturday.

Those officials include a vice mayor, directors of local health commission, and relevant personnel with a Zhengzhou hospital where dozens of coronavirus cases were reported.

Sun Xiaohong, vice mayor of the Zhengzhou government, was removed from her post. Fu Guirong, director of the Zhengzhou health commission, was also dismissed.

The Party chief of the Sixth People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou, a designated hospital that provides treatment for infected overseas arrivals, was also removed from her post.

Other key position holders of the hospital, including the president and vice president, have been put under investigation.

The COVID-19 resurgence started July 30 in the city. The outbreak ebbed in late August. On Aug. 28, the city cleared all medium-and high-risk COVID-19 regions and communities that were once locked down were allowed to reopen. (Global Times)