Chinese authorities have urged foreigners in China to obey Chinese laws and regulations to prevent and control COVID-19 as several cases involving foreigners have recently raised concerns.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said foreigners who refuse to carry out epidemic prevention measures, disrupt epidemic control orders and endanger public health and security in China will be held accountable.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing on Thursday, Hua said all people in China, both Chinese and foreign citizens, are treated equally in terms of epidemic control measures and regulations.

"The regulations aim to safeguard the life and health of every individual in China, as well as maintain public safety," she said.

Laws and regulations, including the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, should be strictly observed by all foreigners in China, she added.

Police in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, are investigating a case involving a foreign COVID-19 patient who beat a female nurse at a hospital designated for treating novel coronavirus patients.

According to a statement released by the Guangzhou City Bureau of Public Security on Thursday, police immediately arrived at the scene and helped put Okonkwonwoye Chika Patrick, a Nigerian citizen, under control on Wednesday morning.

Patrick, 47, reportedly pushed the nurse to the ground in the hospital's isolation ward when she arrived to help collect his blood sample, the statement said. The man then beat and bit her face.

Forensic examinations showed the nurse's face, neck and waist were injured, the statement said.

Patrick entered Guangzhou from abroad on March 20 and was transferred to Guangzhou No 8 People's Hospital after his nucleic acid test came back positive on March 23.

In Beijing, authorities announced they had given an administrative penalty to a Tanzanian and ordered him to leave the country for refusing to obey laws and regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

In Qingdao, Shandong province, three foreigners who jumped the queue and quarreled with locals while having nucleic acid tests in a center of disease prevention and control have apologized.

In Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, a foreigner who was given an administrative penalty and ordered to leave China last week left the mainland for home on Tuesday.

He had not worn a mask, had beaten local medical staff and had thrown his mobile phone at a passerby, local police said.

Contact the writers at zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn