A traffic police officer wearing a face mask is on duty on a street in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 9, 2020. A day after the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Bangladesh, authorities said no new case of the infectious disease has been reported in the country Monday. (Str/Xinhua)

A local court in Northwest China's Qinghai Province on Tuesday sentenced a man who caused over 900 people to be put into isolation to one year in prison for obstructing the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

The man, surnamed Gou, becomes the first man punished by law for impairing epidemic control and public safety amid the coronavirus outbreak in the province. 

The people's court of Huangzhong county said Gou found he was sick and lied to the village doctor on January 19, telling him he had returned from Wuhan and stayed at home for over 40 days, while he had only been at home for three days.

Gou did not undergo any self-isolation at home for observation, but instead visited friends and relatives after visiting the doctor. He did not truthfully register his information as required on January 23, the day Wuhan went into lockdown.  

Two days later, he concealed his travel history from the village medical staff and officials and tore up his train ticket, the evidence recording his journey from Wuhan.

Gou was confirmed as having coronavirus on January 30, which resulted in over 900 people being forced to undergo quarantine, and three close contacts becoming infected and sent to hospitals.

The court held that the defendant's behavior constituted the crime of hindering the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. After the defendant was brought to justice, he confessed his crime.

Gou said he will not appeal the sentence. 

China announced on Monday that obstructing border health checkups, including concealing health status by providing the wrong information while filling in a health form, and forging health and checkup forms and certificates, will be punished and lead to conviction.

There are currently no coronavirus patients in Qinghai Province after all 18 infected cases were cured. 

Global Times