Two men diagnosed of COVID-19 from Southwest China's Sichuan Province, who purposefully snuck out of Wuhan during its lockdown and caused more than 300 people to be quarantined, were given prison sentences on Friday. Photo: Sichuan Daily

 Two men diagnosed of COVID-19 from Southwest China's Sichuan Province, who purposefully snuck out of Wuhan during its lockdown and caused more than 300 people to be quarantined, were given prison sentences on Friday. 

The two defendants surnamed Deng and Tian were given 11-month prison sentence and nine-month prison sentence with probation of 18 months respectively by the Yibin City Cuiping District People's Court on Friday. They were convicted of violating rules related to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. 

Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, was locked down on January 23 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but Deng and Tian drove out of Wuhan on January 24 and returned to Deng's home in Yibin on January 25. 

They did not report their trip to Wuhan to local authorities nor did they home quarantine as was required by the local epidemic prevention department. Deng even concealed his visit to Wuhan when questioned by local epidemic prevention officials. 

Between January 26 and 31, Deng and Tian paid multiple visits to crowded public places including supermarkets and catering venues without wearing a mask. 

It wasn't until Tian showed symptoms of COVID-19 on February 1 that Deng acknowledged that he and Tian drove from Wuhan to Yibin. 

Deng and Tian were diagnosed of COVID-19 on February 4 and 5 and were put under quarantine and received treatment. 

Sixty of their close contacts and 246 residents in their residential compound were put under quarantine on February 1. 

The court ruled that the two defendants refused to follow prevention and control measures implemented by health and anti-epidemic agencies in accordance with the law and posed serious danger by allowing the category A infectious disease to spread among the public. 

A similar case in Deyang city of Sichuan also resulted in the defendant receiving a two-year prison sentence on September 1. 

The villager surnamed Guo from Jingyang district of Deyang violated epidemic prevention regulations and gathered with others to play mahjong after the outbreak of COVID-19. Guo was diagnosed of COVID-19 and caused two infected, 120 close contacts to be quarantined and the entire village to be locked down.