HEFEI, March 16 (Xinhua) -- East China's Anhui Province has tightened quarantine rules for people traveling from abroad in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

All people coming from abroad, regardless of their nationalities and whether they come directly to Anhui or via other cities nationwide, are subject to a 14-day centralized quarantine and nucleic acid testing, according to the foreign affairs office of the Anhui provincial government.

With a recovery rate of 99.4 percent, the province was cleared of the COVID-19 patients on March 8. The new rule aims to curb the potential spread of the virus as the epidemic situation worsens in many foreign countries.

The office called people who plan to return to Anhui or come to Anhui for study or work to stay where they are if possible. If they choose to proceed with their trips, they are advised to notify communities, schools or companies in Anhui in advance and take personal protection measures during the journeys.

All people arriving from overseas should fill out the health information forms truthfully, the office said. Those who conceal information or refuse to be quarantined or treated will be punished, and all confirmed or suspected cases will be sent to designated hospitals for treatment, it said.