"Are You a Human or a Pig?"... Controversy Over 'COVID-19 Negative' Stamp on Chinese Hand

Photos Spread on SNS like Weibo... "Treating People Like Animals"
Local Health Center Issues Apology Amid Controversy

In a city in China, residents had stamps placed on the backs of their hands to confirm negative COVID-19 test results. Photo by WeChat, China [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lee Gyehwa] In a city in Jiangsu Province, China, a controversy over "insult to human dignity" has arisen after citizens had COVID-19 negative stamps marked on the backs of their hands.

According to Weibo and WeChat on the 8th, since the 5th, photos showing COVID-19 negative confirmation stamps on the backs of residents' hands in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, have spread mainly on Chinese social networking services (SNS). The stamp on the person's hand in the photo bears inscriptions such as "Wuxi Regional Health Center" and "For Medical Use Only."

Local authorities reportedly stamped residents who were allowed to move after being restricted due to COVID-19 prevention measures and required them to keep the stamp marks on their bodies for three days.

After this fact became known, Weibo was flooded with criticism, saying it resembled quarantine stamps used in livestock slaughterhouses and treated people like animals. Some criticized, "Are they saying not to properly wash hands for three days in hot weather?" and "Those responsible must be held accountable."

As the controversy grew, the quarantine authorities issued a public apology on the 6th, explaining that it was a method to avoid congestion inside the health center and shifted responsibility to lower-level staff. On that day, Wuxi reportedly had 34 additional asymptomatic infections, leading to a surge in testers.

The local health center stated in an apology, "The staff in charge handled the work simply, causing worry and inconvenience to residents," and added, "We will ensure that such incidents do not happen again."

A pregnant woman is being transferred to an isolation facility at a hospital in Wuxi, China. Photo by WeChat video footage from China [Image source=Yonhap News]

Also, on the same day (the 6th), videos and photos circulated online showing local authorities isolating newborns and pregnant women who had just given birth or were about to give birth to other locations, citing positive COVID-19 cases in the obstetrics ward.

Chinese netizens expressed concerns that medical accidents could occur during the transfer of pregnant women and newborns in the hot summer weather, and some suggested that it would have been better for the hospital to close and operate the ward instead.

Wuxi has recently become the area with the most severe COVID-19 spread in Jiangsu Province, with several residential complexes locked down and the city's quarantine level significantly heightened.

Authorities across China have repeatedly faced claims that their excessive quarantine measures to achieve "zero COVID" during outbreaks infringe on citizens' basic rights.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.