A man in China was put under criminal investigation after he violated the mandatory home quarantine, and came in contact with his neighbours. The Chinese authorities enforced more than 5,000 neighbours into government quarantine due to the action of the man, who later tested positive for COVID-19. The incident occurred as the Chinese government began to ease COVID-19 restrictions in Shanghai and other cities, according to several reports.
The man, apparently in his early 40s, was required to isolate at home. He had entered a shopping plaza deemed as a risk-prone area on May 23. During his quarantine period, the man “went out many times, and moved in the community, risking the spread of the epidemic,” the Chinese National Health Commission authorities told the Guardian newspaper.
At least five days later, his wife tested positive. As many as 258 people lived in the building where the man resided, and they were forced to go to the government quarantine centre. At least 5,000 others were asked to isolate at home.
China has instated harsh and stringent COVID-19 measures as several cities witnessed outbreaks of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Beijing’s ‘Zero COVID policy’ has been widely criticised for its significant negative impact on the economy and the mental status of the people forced into isolation.
Beijing man’s actions attracted backlash online
As China eased the quarantine rules, the Beijing man’s actions attracted backlash online on the social media platforms as several, once again, were asked to go into isolation. “It’s been two days since it’s been cleared, what is this man doing? Doesn’t he want to clear the epidemic in Beijing? Does he have to come out and harm people when the situation is almost stable?” said one commenter. “The community and the patient each share 50 per cent responsibility, as the community did not install a door magnetic alarm … and there was a management responsibility which the community should shoulder,” said another.
As of Sunday, Beijing registered approximately 122 new COVID-19 cases, of those 102 were found to be asymptomatic. At least 12 were locally transmitted cases, that were registered on Sunday. The Chinese government is set to end the COVID-19 restrictive measures in Shanghai on Wednesday this week. Premier Li Keqiang warned that the economy was at a “critical point” and it would lead to dire consequences to have the cities shut down.