(Yicai Global) March 18 -- German pharmaceutical giant Bayer has laid off an employee who refused to commit to Beijing's policy about a compulsory two-week quarantine for people who are arriving from abroad.

Bayer adheres to the laws and regulations of the countries in which it operates and supports the Chinese government and the people in their fight against the epidemic, the Leverkusen-headquartered firm said in a statement posted on its Weibo yesterday.

The person, who claimed to be an Australian citizen, had wanted to go out for a jog without wearing a face mask in downtown Beijing, as a video that later went viral on social media shows. Residential guards had tried to block her exit so she shouted "help" and "harassment" on the video, after which the guards contacted local police who got the jogger to agree on the necessity of home quarantine. 

On March 16, Beijing tightened its policy to require all overseas returnees to be placed in centralized quarantine institutions for two weeks. Five days before that, the capital city had stipulated that all international arrivals should stay home for the isolation period. Other big cities, such as Shanghai, have only targeted key regions, such as Italy, Iran, and South Korea, in their quarantine policies.  

Editor: Emmi Laine