Vietnam Airlines flight attendant breaks coronavirus quarantine, gets 2-year suspended jail sentence

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A flight attendant employed by Vietnam Airlines has been served a two-year suspended jail sentence after being found guilty of breaking restriction rules and spreading the coronavirus to others, authorities announced.

On Tuesday, a Vietnamese court convicted Duong Tan Hau of "spreading dangerous infectious diseases," Reuters reports. In November, the 29-year-old flight attendant broke the 14-day national quarantine order when he came in contact with 46 other people following a flight from Japan, the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City found.

In November, flight attendant Duong Tan Hau broke the 14-day national quarantine order when he came in contact with 46 other people following a flight from Japan. (Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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According to the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security, Hau "visited cafes, restaurants and attended English classes" during what was supposed to be a stint in self-isolation. He tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 28.

Hau infected at least three other people during this time. His violations led to the quarantine and testing of about 2,000 others, costing the government $194,192 (4.48 billion dong).  

"Hau’s violation was serious, put society in danger and endangered the safety of the community," local media said, per Reuters. A spokesperson for the carrier was not immediately available to offer further comment to Fox News on the status of Hau's employment.

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Vietnam, meanwhile, has implemented strict coronavirus testing, tracing and quarantine requirements for citizens. To date, 2,594 cases of coronavirus and 35 deaths have been reported in Vietnam, according to Johns Hopkins University.