Travelers Providing Wrong Health Info will Face Criminal Charges

Inbound Travelers providing Wrong

Health Info to face Criminal Charges

An inbound passenger, whose destination is Guangdong province, registers his information at the New China International Exhibition Center in Beijing

People who do not report the truth about their infectious diseases or falsify their health statement cards when entering the country will be identified as disturbing border health and quarantine in accordance with Chinese criminal law.

This offense was clarified in a guideline jointly released by five authorities - the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice and the Central Administration of Customs - on Monday.

Disinfecting a Hainan Airlines flight

The guideline aims to further strengthen health and quarantine work against the novel coronavirus at borders and more effectively keep public health secure by rule of law.

Staff members wearing protective suits register passengers in front of a check-in counter of Air China at Beijing Capital International Airport

Besides faking health information, the guideline also specifies several situations in which people should be identified as disturbing border health and quarantine in line with the Criminal Law.

For example, those who refuse health checks or quarantine orders from customs, or people responsible for exit-entry public transport in a region or country where an infectious disease is rampant but who intentionally hide non-accidental deaths, will face a similar criminal charge.

An airport worker wearing a face mask while standing next to an empty baggage claim area at Daxing international airport in Beijing

Under the law, the health and quarantine disturbers will be given a maximum sentence of three years in prison or detention, as well as fines if their behaviors cause spread of the infectious disease.

这样入境，定罪处罚！

最高人民法院、最高人民检察院、公安部、司法部、海关总署3月16日联合发布《关于进一步加强国境卫生检疫工作 依法惩治妨害国境卫生检疫违法犯罪的意见》，明确六类行为以妨害国境卫生检疫罪定罪处罚，其中包括:

1. 检疫传染病染疫人或者染疫嫌疑人拒绝执行海关依照国境卫生检疫法等法律法规提出的健康申报、体温监测、医学巡查、流行病学调查、医学排查、采样等卫生检疫措施，或者隔离、留验、就地诊验、转诊等卫生处理措施的；

2. 检疫传染病染疫人或者染疫嫌疑人采取不如实填报健康申明卡等方式隐瞒疫情，或者伪造、涂改检疫单、证等方式伪造情节的；

3. 知道或者应当知道实施审批管理的微生物、人体组织、生物制品、血液及其制品等特殊物品可能造成检疫传染病传播，未经审批仍逃避检疫，携运、寄递出入境的；

4. 出入境交通工具上发现有检疫传染病染疫人或者染疫嫌疑人，交通工具负责人拒绝接受卫生检疫或者拒不接受卫生处理的；

5. 来自检疫传染病流行国家、地区的出入境交通工具上出现非意外伤害死亡且死因不明的人员，交通工具负责人故意隐瞒情况的；

6. 其他拒绝执行海关依照国境卫生检疫法等法律法规提出的检疫措施的。

实施上述行为，引起鼠疫、霍乱、黄热病以及新冠肺炎等国务院确定和公布的其他检疫传染病传播或者有传播严重危险的，依照刑法第三百三十二条的规定，以妨害国境卫生检疫罪定罪处罚。

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  POLICE INVESTIGATION  
Woman Tested Positive in the US
 and "Escape" Back to China

---

Beijing police have launched a criminal investigation into a coronavirus patient who traveled to China from the US while showing symptoms, and was confirmed infected after arriving.

The patient, a woman identified by her surname, Li, is a resident of Massachusetts, said Beijing authorities in a statement online. She had attended a company conference in late February, where one of her colleagues later tested positive for the coronavirus.

The timeline: Li began noticing symptoms on March 1, like muscle aches, a fever, cough, and runny nose. She visited a local hospital on March 3, before subsequent visits on March 5, March 10, and March 11; she was prescribed antiviral medication and given a chest radiograph, but says she was not hospitalized.

Finally, on March 12, she traveled to Los Angeles, then flew onward to Beijing with her husband and son.

On the flight: A few hours after takeoff, Li told flight crew that she was experiencing symptoms. She was asked to sit in an isolation zone on the plane, and wear a mask. It wasn't for several more hours -- shortly before arriving in Beijing -- that she told crew members she had been at a conference with a person infected with coronavirus, according to an airline spokesperson.

Upon arrival, the family was taken to a hospital in Beijing, where Li was confirmed infected with the virus on March 13. She is now being treated in hospital while her husband and son stay under quarantine for medical observation.

But in the past week, contradicting claims have emerged. Nieng Yan, a professor at Princeton University, said on the social platform Weibo that Li had already tested positive in the US and had wanted to "escape" back to China - contradicting Li's claims that she had been unable to get tested in Massachusetts.

The police say they are investigating Li for alleged violation of China's infectious disease prevention law.

Circuit Breakers for Stocks Triggered

a Third Time in a Week

Trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

The hyper-turbulent American stock market plunged Monday, with the S&P 500 triggering a market-wide trading halt for the third time in a week.

An exchange-mandated circuit breaker stopped action for 15 minutes after the S&P 500 fell 7% from its Friday close to 2,521.24 after markets opened at 9:30 a.m. in New York. The biggest exchange-traded fund that tracks the U.S. equity benchmark plunged 9% in early trading. Futures on the index sank 4.8% overnight before hitting levels that prevent further losses.

The pummeling is a continuation of one of the darkest periods in markets since the financial crisis, with rattled investors trying to figure out how to value companies whose earnings forecasts have become unreliable. The virus has spread to more than 3,000 Americans and has ground activity in Europe to a virtual standstill.

Emergency action by the Federal Reserve did little to calm nerves, with investors clamoring for a fiscal response to combat the economic effects that come with unprecedented disruptions to social interactions.

The central cut interest rates on Sunday and boosted liquidity to support markets rattled by the virus. The Fed will keep interest rates near zero “until it is confident that the economy has weathered recent events and is on track to achieve its maximum employment and price stability goals,” Jerome Powell’s policy board said.

“It’s largely inconsequential,” said Peter Mallouk, president of Creative Planning, which manages about $45 billion. “The bottom line is this is a health issue.” The Fed’s actions “will have a limited effect, short-term effect until we turn the tide here.”

Another 15-minute pause would occur should S&P losses reach 13% following a resumption in trading. Such a drop would put the index at 2,358.58. If the drop hits 20%, markets would close for the day. A 20% decline would bring the S&P to 2,168.81, which would be its lowest level since November 2016.

美股 又断了！第三次！

北京时间3月16日晚9点半，美国三大股指16日开盘暴跌，标普500指数逾7%，触发熔断机制，停盘15分钟。这是美股两周以来第三次熔断。投资机构纷纷对市场前景表示悲观，高盛预测，下跌远未结束，预计标普500指数可能从最高点下跌41%至2000点左右。

尽管美联储周末宣布将基础利率一降到零，市场并不买账，率先开盘的亚太股市集体跳水，欧洲股市也大面积暴跌。美股三大股指开盘跌幅达7%，欧洲市场也因美股开盘跌幅扩大。

消息面来看，北京时间3月16日凌晨5点（美国时间周日17:00），美联储紧急宣布将联邦基金利率目标区间下调100BP到0%至0.25%之间，并启动7000亿美元量化宽松（QE）计划。“美联储主席鲍威尔坚持称美国不搞负利率，这也就意味着，美国传统货币政策工具已经用尽，未来政策的想象空间只能是超常规的QE或者其他的创新工具，就像2008年为了应对金融危机的冲击而设立QE一样。”星石投资称。

Apple to Close all Stores

Outside of China until March 27

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple, at the 2019 DreamForce conference in San Francisco, California, U.S.

Apple said it will close all of its stores outside of Greater China until March 27 to reduce the risk of the coronavirus spreading.

The iPhone maker’s online store will remain open as well as its “Apple Store” app.

The Apple Store closed in Grote Houtstraat in Haarlem. - Apple is closing all of its stores outside China until March 27 in a bid to slow the spread of the new coronavirus outbreak

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company had learnt lessons from the outbreak in China and that is why it is taking these steps.

Apple’s move follows similar steps it took in China in early February when it said it would temporarily shut down all its stores in mainland China through Feb. 9 because of the coronavirus.

A closed Apple Store is pictured in a deserted shopping mall in Rome

After that it took a while for stores to reopen. By Mar. 13, all of its mainland China stores had re-opened but with limited operating hours. China is a critical market for Apple and its business has been hurt because of the epidemic.

苹果宣布，关闭中国以外所有 Apple Store

苹果 3 月 14 号下午突然宣布，由于新冠肺炎疫情在全球的持续爆发，苹果将关闭大中华区以外的所有 Apple Store 零售店，直至 3 月 27 日，这也就意味着在未来的两周除中国以外的 Apple Store 都将关门歇业。

库克在苹果官网发表了一封公开信，回应了在全球 130 多个国家和地区爆发的新冠肺炎疫情，并公布了关店计划。 

库克在公开信中首先对中国员工及团队在应对新冠肺炎疫情时所做出的努力给予了赞赏。

库克称，首先要感谢苹果在大中华区的员工团队，尽管感染率已大大降低，但我们知道新冠肺炎的影响依然很强。

库克指出，使新冠肺炎病毒最小化的最有效方法是降低人群密度和最大化的增加距离，随着病毒感染率的持续增长，我们需要采取必要的措施来保护我们的团队成员和用户。

苹果将在 3 月 27 日之前关闭大中华区以外的所有 Apple Store 零售店，用户可以在苹果官网在线商店购物或在 App Store 中下载 Apple Store 应用程序，获取服务与支持。

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  Microsoft Closes All Stores  
Globally

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Microsoft late Monday night took to Social Media to announce that it has decided to close all Microsoft Store locations across the globe due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The change takes into effect immediately, and the company says that all of its stores will remain closed until further notice.

Microsoft is urging customers who might be impacted by the change to visit online support at Microsoft.com.  The company’s full statement can be seen below, but it obviously looks as though there is no current timeframe for when you can expect retail stores to reopen.

“All Microsoft store locations are currently closed until further notice due to COVID-19 health concerns. We know families, remote workers, and businesses are under unique pressure at this time, and we are still here to serve you online at microsoft.com”

Microsoft’s move comes two days after Apple opted to close all of its retail stores around the world (with the exception of China) until March 27th. This move from the Redmond giant should not be surprising at all. It comes just a few days after Microsoft originally initiated “social distancing” policies in its retail stores. At the time, that included offering stations at the front of the store to assist customers with technology and support needs, such as repair services.

Many multiplies, cities, and states across the United States and the world are now banning mass-gatherings and small gatherings alike to help curb the spread of the virus. As a result, Microsoft’s new move to close stores now keeps everyone once working in its retail stores, and also potential customers safe from infection.

Microsoft also announced just last week that it was canceling its annual Build 2020 developers conference in favor of a “digital-only” event instead. The Microsoft search engine, Bing, even launched a Coronavirus resource hub with maps and more to help keep the public informed about the virus.

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