LAUSR

Background Novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infections are highly contagious and have spread worldwide. Healthcare workers must understand the laws and regulations related to major public health emergencies to work effectively within this environment. Through investigation and analysis, a review was conducted to help gain a better understanding of a Level-1 response to public health events and the relevant laws and regulations applicable to medical staff. Based on the results, this study formulated measures for working in the current COVID-19 healthcare context. Methods A total of 42,490 medical personnel in 18 cities in Henan Province (China) were reviewed and analysed using the convenience sampling method. A questionnaire was employed to address two areas of cognitive status quo (25 items), ie, “general information” and “major public events and rules of the law”. Results More than 90% of medical staff had a good understanding related to knowledge about prevention and control in the pandemic context, as well as their due diligence and legal responsibility for controlling the pandemic and preventing others from being infected. However, 3.47–32.61% of medical staff still had a minimal understanding of a Level-1 response to public health events and its relevant laws and regulations. Conclusion The response to public health events required strengthening at all levels through promotion and education, by implementing an optimised treatment system and establishing an improved legal mechanism for the treatment of major conditions, such as hierarchical, stratified and triaged infectious diseases.