(WHDH) — A woman who worked for Biogen and is believed to have attended a meeting in Boston linked to a cluster of coronavirus cases is facing criminal charges after she reportedly flew from Massachusetts to Los Angeles last week before traveling to Beijing, where she tested positive from the COVID-19.
The 37-year-old woman, surnamed Li, is under investigation for allegedly concealing her symptoms and putting fellow travelers at risk of infection, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Li is accused of taking fever-reducing medication and lying to flight staff about her symptoms before boarding her flight to Los Angeles, the newspaper said, citing Beijing’s disease control center and an Air China representative.
The woman reportedly started showing signs of coronavirus in late February after attending a “company meeting” in Boston.
Biogen released a statement reading, “We can confirm that Ms. Li was a U.S. Biogen employee who made the personal decision to travel to China without informing the company and ignoring the guidance of health experts. She is no longer an employee of Biogen. This individual behavior does not comply with Biogen’s values.”
Her meeting dates match the dates of a conference that was hosted by Biogen at the Marriot Long Wharf, according to the newspaper.
She could face imprisonment, forced labor, or detention under Chinese law if convicted.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)