A photo of Li Wenliang is among the flowers people sent to the Central Hospital of Wuhan on Saturday. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

China is to award 34 people, including the "whistleblower" doctor Li Wenliang in Wuhan, the May 4th Medals to commemorate their sacrifice in the fight against COVID-19. 

"As an ophthalmologist, he was not afraid of danger and was not afraid to come into close contact with patients… He stuck to his frontline post and took care of patients in eight beds. When he became infected with COVID-19 at work, he was always concerned about the frontline and said many times that he would go back to the frontline after recovering," read the official introduction and presentation for Li Wenliang. 

Li, a doctor from Central Hospital of Wuhan who sounded an early alarm on the novel coronavirus, died on February 7, aged 34.

The police station's summoning Li for "spreading fake information on the internet" was not appropriate, according to a special investigation concluded on March 18.

Wuhan police withdrew the reprimand order against Li and apologized to his family, and two police officers involved in handling Li's case were punished for dereliction of duty.

Together with 13 other medical workers who sacrificed their lives in the anti-epidemic frontline, Li was awarded the title of "martyr" on April 2.

Also on the list released on Monday were other doctors, farmers, police officers, volunteers, grass-roots officials, a maintenance engineer and a pharmacist, ranging from 25 to 39 years of age.

This year's nominees were selected by a panel of 108 judges from Party and government organs, universities and research institutes, media outlets and some grass-roots youth representatives. 

According to China Youth Daily, the May 4th Medal is the highest honor for outstanding Chinese youth jointly awarded by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and the China Youth Federation. Its aim is to establish models with noble character and who have made outstanding contributions, and to reflect the spiritual character and value pursuit of contemporary youths in China.

The year of 2020 marks the 24th year the award has been given out.