Coronavirus patient jailed in Bahrain for deliberately coughing on doctors

The man was sentenced to three years behind bars and fined

A member of medical staff wearing protective gloves carries a swab tested during a drive-thru coronavirus disease testing at Bahrain Exhibition Centre, in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters

A Bahraini man was jailed for three years after he tried to infect doctors with coronavirus, Bahrain’s state news agency reported on Wednesday.

The man, who was diagnosed with the virus, deliberately removed his mask and coughed in front of staff at a medical examination centre, the Public Health Directorate said.

He also coughed into his hand and touched the doctors, the directorate claimed, in an effort to pass the virus to them.

The man was also fined 1,000 Bahraini dinars (Dh 9,743) by the courts.

Bahrain has confirmed 40,311 cases of the virus, with 36,920 recoveries and 144 deaths.

More than 30 people have been investigated for breaching coronavirus isolation rules in the kingdom.

Those who disobeyed quarantine restrictions faced either a minimum of three months in jail, a fine ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 dinars, or a combination of both.

Global Coronavirus cases reached more than 17 million on Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, with more than 667,000 deaths and 9.9 million recoveries.

_________

Gallery: Coronavirus around the Middle East