CHONGQING — Southwest China's Chongqing municipality has joined several other regions across the country to tighten quarantine rules for travelers from abroad to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.

All people coming to Chongqing from overseas are subject to temperature screening and nucleic acid testing starting March 17, according to the city's leading group for epidemic prevention and control. Those with abnormal results will be sent directly to designated hospitals.

People who have normal results but are from countries with severe epidemic situations will be quarantined at designated places for 14 days at their own expense while the rest are subject to a 14-day home quarantine.

People are asked to pay their own testing and treatment bills if they are not covered by either the country's medical insurance or commercial ones. There will be assistance for people who experience financial difficulties, said the leading group.

Those who conceal their travel and health information and lead to infection or bring huge infection risks will be punished according to the law, it said.

In recent days, China has reported an increasing number of imported coronavirus cases as the virus spread further in the world, prompting major cities or provinces, including Beijing and Shanghai, to tighten quarantine rules for travelers from abroad.