Man sentenced to 5 years jail for spreading Covid in Vietnam

Le Van Tri lied on a health declaration form and eight people were infected - one of whom died

A Vietnamese man has been sentenced to five years hard time for ignoring Covid rules and spreading the virus. Le Van Tri was found guilty of "transmitting dangerous infectious diseases" to eight people, one of whom eventually died, the BBC reported. In early July, the 28-year-old reportedly travelled by motorcycle from Ho Chi Minh City to his home province of Ca Mau where he ignored self-isolation rules. Tri was later discovered to have lied on a health declaration related to his travel history. [caption id="attachment_287911" align="alignnone" width="2048"]

Ho Chi Minh, which is under a total lockdown since 23 August

Ho Chi Minh, has been under a total lockdown since 23 August/Via Getty[/caption] At the time of the incident, it was mandatory for all citizens to self-isolate for 21 days upon entering Ca Mau from other provinces. Tri then tested positive for Covid, along with his family and staff members at a local welfare centre he visited. After a one-day trial, Tri was sentenced to five years jail time and fined the equivalent of £630. "Tri's breach of the home medical quarantine regulation led to many people becoming infected with Covid-19, and one person died on 7 August 2021," the court report stated. Until recently, Vietnam has been largely successful in combating the virus. But due to the growing threat of the Delta variant, the country saw a surge of cases in April. In response, the newly-elected prime minister, Pham Minh Chinh, has ordered mass testing for citizens and deployed soldiers to enforce the quarantine orders implemented as the largest city, Ho Chi Minh, went into lockdown. "We understand the difficulties that businesses and the people face, so we could strive to bring the country back into a new normal," the PM said in a public statement on Sunday. The Chinh government aims to bring down the surge in cases by 15 September.