A woman in China has called the police 16 times falsely claiming that her boyfriend was infected with the coronavirus because the man had failed to apologise to her after an argument.

The 39-year-old, known by her surname Ma, told officers in Tainjin that her boyfriend had been coughing and having fever before leaving their shared flat.

She was detained last week after admitting that she had lied to the police in order to teach her boyfriend a lesson.

The woman, identified by police as 39-year-old Ma, is pictured being taken away by an officer after admitting that she had made false accusation that her boyfriend had coronavirus

The suspect, currently under detention, said her boyfriend had refused to apologise to her after an argument and she was hoping to vent her anger and teach her partner a lesson

The suspect said that she was acting under the influence of alcohol while calling the police.

The case was revealed by the police of Wuqing, a district of Tianjin, through their social media account on Saturday.

According to an official post, Ms Ma called the police at the Hexiwu Police Station more than a dozen times on Wednesday.

She said she had downed a large volume of distilled rice wine and argued with her boyfriend, who subsequently left home.

She claimed her partner had been coughing non-stop and sustaining high fever since the night before.

Police found her boyfriend, Mr Wang, at one of his friends' house shortly afterwards.

Mr Wang did not show any symptoms when the officers met him. The police then arranged medical checks for him and he was found to be healthy.

Footage released by Pear Video shows officers from the Hexiwu Police Station in Tianjin arriving at the woman's home to carry out investigation after she called them 16 times

The woman is pictured having her temperature taken by health workers after the police arranged her partner to be checked at a hospital. The man was found to be healthy

Ms Ma then confessed that she decided to make false accusations to seek revenge because her boyfriend had not said sorry to her and that the next day would be the Valentine's Day.

Ms Ma was detained by police on suspicion of making false claims to police and disturbing social order.

Originating in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the new coronavirus - known as COVID-19 - has infected more than 74,000 people inside China.

The government has locked down tens of millions of people in several virus-hit cities, extended Lunar New Year holidays and pulled flights in a scramble to contain the virus.

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 2,129 people and infected more than 75,700 globally

Originating in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the new coronavirus - known as COVID-19 - has infected more than 74,000 people inside China. Pictured, members of a neighborhood committee stand guard to control people entering the local area on February 19 in Beijing

Overnight, Hubei health officials reported 349 new cases out of a nationwide total of 394 and 108 of the 114 new deaths across China. The figures are the lowest daily tolls in a month

Hubei, situated in central China, accounts for more than 80 per cent of the confirmed cases and 95 per cent of the deaths globally.

Overnight, the Hubei health officials reported 349 new cases out of a nationwide total of 394 and 108 of the 114 new deaths across China.

The figures are the lowest daily tolls in a month and Beijing said outbreak control efforts 'are working'.

Globally, the coronavirus epidemic has killed at least 2,129 people and infected more than 75,700, and has spread to at least two dozen countries.