Death for those who hide infection in China
492 DEAD GLOBALLY Beijing scrambles to stop virus epidemic with strict laws
BEIJING: Chinese authorities scrambling to contain the raging novel coronavirus epidemic are ready to implement harsh measures, including the death penalty.
Coronavirus-infected people who conceal the infection and spread the disease “intentionally” in public places could be sentenced to death, officials have told Chinese state media.
As many as 490 people in China - 492 globally - have died so far and over 24,400 have been infected. All new 65 deaths on Tuesday were reported from Hubei.
The surging toll comes in the backdrop of several countries banning visitors from China, and many putting restrictions on those travelling from the worsthit Hubei province.
China had threatened execution and jail sentences during the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003 for those avoiding quarantine and spreading the disease.
Beijing had invited plenty of criticism from human rights watchdogs.
With the current outbreak, China’s ministry of public security, which is responsible for internal security has “vowed to crack down on coronavirus-related crimes to ensure social stability, in which violators could face the death penalty”.
Spreading rumours about the outbreak has been linked to “subversion of state power” and will attract swift punishment.
Infected people with a history of travelling to areas worst-hit by the outbreak but hiding that information would also be severely punished. If spared of the death penalty, they will face a 15-year jail term.
The Changchun police in northeast China’s Jilin province, for example, is investigating a man for allegedly “endangering public security” as he concealed his travel history to a critical epidemic area, eventually causing at least five infections.
The High People’s Court of northeast China’s Heilongjiang province said it will severely punish 36 crimes related to the prevention and control of the epidemic in accordance with the law, in which violators could face the death penalty.
“People who spread the virus intentionally and endanger public security could be regarded as violating the criminal law, which states that actions that endanger public security can be subject to the death penalty if the situation is severe,” the tabloid Global Times reported.
The MPS will come down heavily on those spreading rumours, the tabloid said.