On Sunday, the authorities in the northwestern province of Gansu said 10 local officials were under investigation over the incident in the city of Tianshui.
One political scientist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the slow response to the incident showed how local officials “try to avoid taking responsibility”.
He added that a “passive feedback mechanism” made it hard for the public to obtain accurate information.
The investigation found that a local hospital and the provincial centre for disease control and prevention (CDC) had falsified test results.
On Monday, the media outlet Caixin published a commentary questioning whether the data falsification was “motivated by pressure or profit”.
