Ho Chi Minh City police initiated a criminal investigation on Thursday of the Vietnam Airlines flight attendant who disregarded Covid-19 quarantine rules and is believed to have spread Covid-19 to at least three people, VN Express has reported.
The flight attendant could be charged with “spreading dangerous infectious diseases in human” said police on Thursday. The prison sentence for this charge is up to 12 years.
This is the first time that disregarding Covid-19 quarantine rules is being criminally handled. Past violators were only faced with fines.
The flight attendant returned to HCMC from Japan on Nov. 14 and was quarantined for four days at a facility managed by Vietnam Airlines. He then tested negative for Covid-19 twice, and was sent home to self-isolate. However, he came into contact with his mother and two of his friends, violating quarantine rules.
On Nov. 22, he visited Hutech University in Binh Thanh District.
Fifteen days after he returned from Japan, the flight attendant tested positive, and one of his friends who visited him also tested positive the next day. The latter is a teacher, and had infected a nephew and a student of his.
In response to the incident, two Vietnam Airlines quarantine facilities have been shut down, making 61 employees quarantine in two hotels.
The Ministry of Transport on Tuesday stated that airlines of crews that disregarded Covid-19 quarantine regulations and spread the infection would not be allowed to run international flights.
