A traffic police officer wearing a face mask is on duty on a street in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 9, 2020. A day after the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Bangladesh, authorities said no new case of the infectious disease has been reported in the country Monday. (Str/Xinhua)

Five government employees from Northwest China's Gansu Province were detained for seven days after secretly allowing people confirmed infected with COVID-19 returning from overseas to go back to their homes without permission and concealing their real health status. 

The police of Linxia in Gansu made the announcement online on Thursday, saying the five government employees would be punished for taking five people, who had returned from abroad on March 13, to their homes without notifying the local government, and for not reporting information truthfully, which violates the regulation on coronavirus control and prevention, as well as China's Penalty Law of Public Security Management.

The discipline supervision authorities are dealing with the case in accordance with law and regulation. 

Health Commission of Gansu announced on Wednesday to adjust the risk level of epidemic in Linxia from low to medium due to the increasing number of new cases in the past 14 days, especially imported cases.  

There are still 40 coronavirus cases in Gansu as of press time. 

Global Times