Newfoundland woman arrested for refusing to self-isolate
Posted March 26, 2020 10:51 am.
ST. JOHN’S, NL (NEWS 1130) – A Newfoundland woman arrested for refusing to stay at home and self-isolate after she returned from a trip outside the province was to make a court appearance Thursday, according to police.
The 53-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday in Corner Brook for violating public health emergency orders aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, says the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.
Const. James Cadigan says officers responded to complaints alleging the woman was not self-isolating for 14 days, as required under the Public Health Protection and Promotion Act.
Officers spoke to the woman and arrested her for failing to comply with the law, which could lead to a fine between $500 and $2,500 and a jail sentence of up to six months.
Cadigan confirms a public reporting system introduced on the weekend has received more than 400 complaints from people reporting suspected contraventions of health directives.
He adds police have resolved 27 complaints by contacting the person and educating them about the measures, but in the Corner Brook case the woman was not compliant and was held in a jail cell overnight.
