China said it would execute or award a sentence of...

China said it would execute or award a sentence of up to life imprisonment for anyone violating quarantine and intentionally spreading SARS.
The supreme court and the country's top prosecutor laid down the punishment in an interpretation of laws on hindering the prevention or treatment of sudden disease outbreaks and other disasters, the Xinhua news agency said.
"Intentionally spreading sudden contagious disease pathogens, endangering public security or serious personal injury, death or heavy loss of public or private property will be punishable by from 10 years to life in prison or the death penalty, "the state agency said.
The interpretation is part of a tough government push to tackle the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) after a slow start in handling the flu-like disease that first appeared in the southern province of Guangdong in 2002.