Woman who flew from US to China for coronavirus test faces criminal charges
- Massachusetts resident, surnamed Li, is said to have taken fever-reducing medication before boarding plane and lying to flight attendants
- Woman, who is now in hospital, could face jail time or detention with possible forced labour for ‘impeding prevention of infectious diseases’
A woman who flew last week from Massachusetts to Los Angeles – then to Beijing, where she tested positive for coronavirus – is under investigation on allegations of concealing her symptoms and putting fellow travellers at risk of infection.
The woman took fever-reducing medication before boarding a plane and lied to flight attendants, according to Beijing’s disease control centre and an Air China representative, who held a news conference on Monday.
The woman, who was hospitalised and is receiving treatment, is under investigation for the crime of “impeding prevention of infectious diseases”. According to Chinese law, she could face up to three years of imprisonment or detention with possible forced labour, or up to seven years of prison if there are “serious consequences”.
As the pandemic worsens around the world but slows in China, authorities in Beijing are tightening controls. All passengers arriving in Beijing from abroad, including Chinese nationals, are required to quarantine in government centres for 14 days.
Shanghai and other cities have enacted similar measures for travellers from a growing list of high-risk countries with coronavirus outbreaks, including Iran, Italy, South Korea, France, Spain, Germany, England, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Holland, Denmark, Austria and the United States.