Man sentenced in city's second COVID-19 case

A man has been sentenced to six months in jail with a year’s reprieve in the city’s second case related to disrupting epidemic prevention and control. 

Baoshan District People's Court heard that a woman, surnamed Zhang, had arrived in Shanghai from overseas on March 14. She met the man, surnamed Wu, and they flew to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province the same day. They stayed at Zhang’s home that night and Wu returned to Shanghai the next day. 

On March 17, the center for disease control and prevention in Guangzhou told Wu that Zhang had been diagnosed with novel coronavirus infection and that he should stay in quarantine at home. However, he still went out several times to a restaurant, convenience store, fruit shop and gas station before he was taken to a designated place for quarantine and medical observation four days later.

On March 22, Wu tested positive for COVID-19, causing over 20 close contacts to be quarantined and several places closed for disinfection, the court heard.

It is illegal for suspected COVID-19 patients to refuse to be quarantined, to go to public places or use public transport.  

In the city’s first such case on March 16, a man was sentenced to 15 months in jail with an 18-month reprieve at Jinshan District People's Court.

The man, surnamed Li, had hidden the fact he had been in Wuhan in Hubei Province. He had since been in close contact with 55 people and they all had to be quarantined.