Man arrested for coronavirus prank on Almaty metro

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – Police in Almaty city have arrested a man suspected of imitating a coronavirus victim and coughing on a metro train as a prank, Kazinform correspondent reports.

According to a footage posted online, a 23-year-old resident of Almaty imitated a persistent cough. The suspect was detained on suspicion of hooliganism

The young man was brought to administrative responsibility. By the decision of the specialized inter-district administrative court of Almaty, he was subjected to administrative arrest for a period of 10 days, according to the official representative of the Almaty police department Saltanat Azirbek. The prankster publicly apologized to citizens.

To date, the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 152 countries and territories around the world.

The day before Kazakhstan's Health Ministry confirmed two more coronavirus cases in the country bringing the total number of infected persons to six.

The main signs of infection are fever and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.