Photo: Courtesy of the Shanghai Airport Immigration Inspection Station

Two COVID-19 patients returning to China from the Philippines were recently found to have hidden their symptoms before taking flights back home, said the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines on Wednesday.

The two Chinese people, surnamed Tang and Yu, had negative nucleic acid test reports, but were diagnosed with COVID-19 after they arrived in China, the embassy said on its WeChat account on Wednesday.

The embassy re-checked their test results and found they had actually tampered with their test reports in the Philippines, changing them from positive to negative so they could get permission to fly home, it said.

China started in late July to require all arrivals from overseas to undergo nucleic acid testing at least five days prior to departure at health institutions designated or recognized by Chinese embassies overseas.

Passengers are still required to present their negative COVID-19 test results before they board, stated the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on July 21.

"Tang and Yu's falsification [of their test results] is extremely unmoral and irresponsible," the embassy criticized. "Their behavior shows they have flagrantly violated China's epidemic-preventing laws and regulations, and they severely threatened other passengers and crew members on the same flights."

The embassy said it had informed the Chinese public security department about the incident. Those involved in the falsification of test results would be investigated for legal responsibility according to law, it added.