Volunteers carry supplies at community gates in Songjiang district, Shanghai on April 15, 2022. Photo: IC

Three officials of Shanghai Jiading Funeral Home were held responsible on Thursday for refusing to provide funeral service with the excuse of epidemic prevention. So far, at least 15 officials have been punished for malpractice in COVID-19 battle against the wave of the Omicron outbreak.

For violating working discipline and causing mental injuries to the family numbers of the deceased who required the funeral service on April 14, Lu Jianliang, director of the funeral home, is admonished, and the two deputy director Tao Jie and Jiang Yiqing are under further investigation.

One day earlier, two officials and a community staffer were removed from position for refusing, neglecting and shirking responsibility in anti-epidemic work. On Tuesday, two township officials were sacked for further investigation after residents reported that they received unqualified pork products as livelihood supply during the community lockdown. 

According to the announcement of the Shanghai branch of the central discipline inspection commission and the Shanghai supervision commission, the city has punished at least 15 officials from April 7 to April 21 for slack response and poor performance against COVID-19. The sacked officials once worked at township offices, airport and hospital.

According to regional health commission, Shanghai reported 2634 confirmed cases and 15861 asymptomatic infections on Wednesday, of which 1976 confirmed cases and 15619 asymptomatic cases were found in people under quarantine control.

Global Times