Criminal penalties possible for people who hide coronavirus in Guangdong

People who hide their history of traveling or living in regions with major novel coronavirus outbreaks will be held responsible, even on criminal charges, in Guangdong province.

In addition, those who are aware they likely carry the coronavirus but do not self-report or seek medical treatment for their health condition, will be held responsible, even criminally.

The Guangdong provincial authority issued guidelines on administrative law enforcement during the novel coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday.

According to the guidelines, those who need quarantine or medical observation but refuse to fully comply will be put under mandatory treatment or observation with assistance by the police.

The guidelines also includes response to people not wearing masks in public venues, disruption of order in public venues and public vehicles, rumor fabrication and transmission and production or selling of fake goods, as well as failure in complying with the rules on school and enterprise reopening.

Police in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, meanwhile, are investigating a woman who hid the fact she traveled from Wuhan, Hubei province on Jan 21 to Shenzhen before seeking treatment a day later. The woman was confirmed as a patient infected with novel coronavirus.

She did not wear any protective gear in public vehicles or public venues after she arrived in Shenzhen.

The woman is suspected of endangering public safety, according to the police.

In Changchun, Jilin province, the police started an investigation of a man who did not quarantine himself after traveling from Wuhan city and during medical treatment, and hid his long work experience in and recent travel from Wuhan.

The man had close contact and dined with other people, leading to the infection of five and the quarantine of many.