Consumers purchase face masks for children in a Sinopec gas station in Beijing on Wednesday. Sinopec Beijing Oil Products Co began selling masks for children in its 50 gas stations in the capital city on Tuesday with supplies limited to 10,000 pieces per day. Plus, the firm's surgical mask supplies have increased to 150,000 per day. Photo: cnsphotos

Beijing police Sunday arrested a man returning to the capital city from Wuhan who concealed his journey and infected his own mother.

The man was charged with hindering the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, Fangshan district police posted on Sina Weibo on Sunday. 

The man's mother contracted the virus on February 15. Medical staff were perplexed as nobody nearby had travelled to Wuhan where the first COVID-19 cases were reported. 

Further investigations revealed her son, who police only named by his surname of Chang, was working in Wuhan and left the city with his wife and child on January 23 before the quarantine. 

The family concealed its travel history to the community even though they were required to inform the authorities. They continued to go out, shop and talk to people.

After his mother tested positive for the virus, the man and his other family members were also quarantined. The suspect himself tested positive afterwards. 

Global Times