A local government in Hubei introduces a credit blacklist to guarantee the prevention and control of the coronavirus epidemic. Photo: cnsphoto

A local government in Hubei has launched regulations to discipline residents' behavior and has introduced a credit blacklist to guarantee the prevention and control of the coronavirus epidemic.

Xiangyang, Central China's Hubei Province, issued a new credit blacklist on Wednesday amid the COVID-19 epidemic, targeting those who conceal the illness, go out in epidemic-hit areas, conceal information about contact with confirmed or suspected cases, or refuse to enter quarantine.

According to a report from the Xiangyang municipal government on Wednesday, citizens should value personal credit as inclusion on the blacklist will impact their daily lives in the future. It could limit their access to high-end consumption, financing, and transport services such as flights and high-speed trains. Applications to enroll in the civil service or work in public institutions will also be restricted.

The new regulations came after cases emerged of people refusing to abide by existing regulations for the prevention and control of the epidemic.

At the same time, Xiangyang will offer positive credit incentives to those who have participated in frontline epidemic prevention and control work, including medical staff, volunteers and donators.

Relevant information will be published in a timely manner on provincial and municipal credit platforms and the national credit information sharing platform to provide joint incentives, according to the report.

Xiangyang is not the first city to launch such a blacklist amid the epidemic. The Shanghai municipal government introduced a similar policy on February 7, with disciplinary measures in place to ensure prevention and control work proceeds smoothly.