Man First To Be Jailed For Ignoring Quarantine Order

A 31-year-old man has become the first person in Hong Kong be jailed for violating a home quarantine order amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Sing Kin Kung-kai pleaded guilty at Fanling Magistrates' Court on Monday morning to one count of giving false or misleading information to an authorised officer, after admitting to providing a fake address to officials at Shenzhen Bay Port earlier this month.

He was sent to prison for three months.

In mitigation, the defendant said he knew he had made a mistake after returning from the mainland where he had been visiting friends.

He said he actually lives on the streets of Yuen Long and gave a false address because he did not want to be sent to a quarantine camp.

Acting Principal Magistrate Don So said that what the defendant did was selfish, showed disregard for society, and showed he had no intention of cooperating with officials under the new policy from the start.

Violating a quarantine order is punishable with a fine of up to HK$25,000 and up to six months in jail.