President Xi Jinping has encouraged young medics who are fighting the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the front line to make their contributions in places where the Party and the people need them most.

People infected with quarantinable infectious diseases or suspected epidemic victims who refuse to receive isolated observation or fail to truthfully fill out their health declaration forms at border checkpoints, such as international airports, in China, could face criminal penalties, according to a guideline made public Monday.

Chinese health authority said Monday it received reports of 16 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 14 deaths on the Chinese mainland on Sunday.