A government worker sprays disinfectant on a residential building in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. A government worker sprays disinfectant on a residential building in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. (AP photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A town in China’s Guangdong Province is taking an unusual approach to hunting down people from Hubei, the most affected region in the coronavirus outbreak that continues to roil the whole country and beyond.

Sanjiao, a town in Guangdong's Meizhou City, has recently published a notice asking residents to provide information leading to the whereabouts of “outsiders” from Hubei or locals who have returned from the hardest-hit province, wrote Guangzhou newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily.

Individuals whose claims are verified will be rewarded with 30 surgical masks per person, a bounty that appears to be appealing as such protective gear has become a scarce commodity, with shortages experienced across Asia.

The authorities have received several tip-offs in the three days since the notice was posted. Around 140 people from Hubei have been identified in 17 communities in the town since the establishment of a local epidemic command center, according to the report.

Residents of Hubei, especially those dwelling in Wuhan, have become a target of discrimination since the outbreak led to more than 50 million being placed on lockdown. A seafood market in Wuhan notoriously known for its illegal trade in wildlife is believed to be the culprit behind the health crisis.