Medical workers must be careful to wear protective equipment to minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure, a senior health official said on Thursday.

Guo Yanhong, director of the National Health Commission's health emergency division, said that medical institutions should optimize shifts and personnel allocation so that exposure does not affect clinical work.

Entry to medical institutions still requires a negative nucleic acid test taken within 48 hours to protect medical workers and the vulnerable, she said at a news conference.

Patients and companions must get tested before going to hospital and wear masks.

However, hospitals cannot turn away severe cases or patients with acute diseases even if they do not have a negative test, she added.