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Woman Who Flew From the U.S. to China for a Coronavirus Test Faces Seven Years in Prison

She’s been accused by the Chinese authorities of taking fever-reducing medication and lying to attendants to get on the flight.

A woman has been accused of taking fever-reducing medication and lying to flight attendants so she could get on a flight from the United States to China for a coronavirus test, which came back positive. The Los Angeles Times reports the woman is under investigation in China for “impeding prevention of infectious diseases,” which could see her sentenced to seven years in prison. Beijing’s disease-control center said the woman flew from Massachusetts to Los Angeles, then onward to Beijing, where she was tested. The woman from Massachusetts, surnamed Li, reportedly began showing signs of the virus after attending a “company meeting” in late February. The 37-year-old may have attended a leadership conference hosted by Boston biotech company Biogen. The Times reports at least 104 coronavirus cases in Massachusetts have been linked back to the Biogen conference.