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‘Sars hero’ given top award as Covid-19 dominates China’s civilian honours
- Respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan gets Medal of the Republic and is praised for warning of human-to-human transmission and backing strict control measures
- Two senior doctors, and a military scientist leading work on a vaccine candidate, are awarded the title ‘people’s hero’
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China’s top civilian honours this year all went to people credited with leading the country’s efforts to contain its Covid-19 outbreak, including top respiratory diseases expert Zhong Nanshan and Major General Chen Wei, who is leading the work on one of the Chinese vaccine candidates.
The National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top lawmaking body, confirmed on Tuesday that it had awarded the Medal of the Republic to Zhong, the only nominee. Chen and two frontline doctors, Zhang Boli and Zhang Dingyu, were given the honour of “people’s hero”, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
“Many health care workers, researchers, People’s Liberation Army commanders … and more have achieved strategic results and made significant contributions to the people’s fight … against the new coronavirus epidemic,” the announcement by the Standing Committee said.
Although China continues to experience outbreaks of Covid-19, most recently in Xinjiang in its far west, life in most of the country has returned almost to normal.
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Beware of the potential for a second Covid-19 wave, Zhong Nanshan warns
Beware of the potential for a second Covid-19 wave, Zhong Nanshan warns
Li Wenliang, a Wuhan doctor who had tried to raise the alarm last December about a new mystery illness only to be disciplined by the police, died of Covid-19 in February. He was later exonerated and in April was recognised as a martyr.
After eight people received the Medal of the Republic last year, Zhong – dubbed a “Sars hero” in China for his role in helping to contain the 2002-03 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome – was this year’s sole recipient.
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