On Tuesday, three officials from the Red Cross Society of China's Hubei branch and three from the Wuhan municipal government were slapped with disciplinary penalties for failing in their duties in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

An official news release said the Red Cross officials had engaged in irregularities while accepting and distributing relief materials, while the Wuhan officials violated regulations while distributing masks.

The penalties will go a long way to strengthening the fight against the novel coronavirus. After all, the donated materials are extremely necessary for protection against infection. And by giving such punishment, the disciplinary watchdogs have displayed their determination to enforce regulations.

For several weeks, media outlets had severely criticized the Red Cross Society of China's Hubei branch. Even local government authorities said they had problems ensuring smooth and efficient distribution of relief materials.

Now is the time for the branch to make amends and regain public trust, and it must rise to the occasion.

In another development, the local government has given credit to Zhang Dingyu, the head of Wuhan's Jinyintan Hospital, which has played a major role in treating novel coronavirus patients. Despite having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which makes it difficult for him to climb stairs, Zhang has done a commendable job since the epidemic broke out.

It is hoped that the two moves, praising those performing well and punishing those failing in their duties, will encourage officials to do their jobs well.

 - Zhang Zhouxiang, China Daily