Flight attendant faces criminal charge of spreading coronavirus

The flight attendant, 28, was said to flout COVID-19 prevention and control regulations during his quarantine period at a Vietnam Airlines-managed quarantine facility in HCM City. He met another crew member who was later confirmed to have carried the SARS-CoV-2 virus.   

The flight attendant was allowed to self-quarantine at a guest house after two negative tests, but met his relatives and friends, including an English language teacher who later tested positive. The teacher then transmitted the virus to a kid and one of his students.

HCM City authorities tracked down, quarantined and tested thousands of people who come into contact with those cases. Tens of thousands of students were forced to stay at home amid fears of virus spreading.  

The latest COVID-19 cases ended Vietnam’s three-month streak of no locally transmitted cases.

This is a criminal case that causes serious consequences, said the police at a press briefing on December 3, adding the Vietnam Airlines flight attendant is likely to be charged with “spreading dangerous infectious diseases in human” according to Article 240 of the 2015 Criminal Code.

The flight attendant has been suspended from work and is likely to be sacked following such serious violations of quarantine rules.  

HCM City has decided to shut down the Vietnam Airlines-managed quarantine facility and transfer all crew members and flight attendants in quarantine there to the city’s concentrated quarantine centre.