Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

AsiaWire

This footage shows a villager tied to a concrete column by Chinese disease-prevention workers for failing to wear a surgical mask and refusing to cooperate at coronavirus checkpoints.

Officials in the township of Mengke, which is in Puyang in Central China’s Henan Province, have called the actions “inappropriate”, with an investigation understood to be ongoing.

Footage from the village of Huizhai shows local resident Mr Jing, who is not wearing a mask, being scolded by a medical worker wearing a full hazmat suit.

Mr Jing is bound to a concrete column by a lengthy piece of rope, with another staff member appearing to be tying it behind the pillar.

Mr Jing appears all smiles as the medic points his finger and disciplines him for failing to wear a surgical mask during the viral outbreak now officially known as COVID-19.

According to reports, the villager repeatedly claimed he had left his mask at home but also refused to cooperate in screenings at coronavirus checkpoints.

Health workers decided to tie Mr Jing to the column on 13th February in order to scare him, but he was released a few minutes later with no other physical altercations reported.

A health commission spokesperson told local media: “The medical staff’s actions were inappropriate, and they shouldn’t have tied him to a column.

“The police are investigating the matter and have preliminarily decided to punish the medical worker.”

It was still unclear at the time of writing what the punishment would involve, while Mr Jing is not believed to have been harmed during the ordeal.

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