Police in Trinidad and Tobago are searching for a man who fled a hospital from quarantine after undergoing a test for the COVID-19 virus.
The 24-year-old man of Jerningham, Cunupia, ran from the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on Monday night.
Chaguanas Mayor Vandana Mohit told Express on Tuesday that the information was confirmed to her by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
Mohit has sent out an appeal on social media for residents to stay indoors.
“To our burgesses, I am asking that residents of Jerningham Junction, in particular, stay indoors. Yes, it was just confirmed with TTPS that they are in search of a young man who should at this time be in quarantine due to a possible risk. Please adhere to warnings. Please”, Mohit wrote. ‘
Mohit said that she knew the person who police are seeking.
Police said that the man is well-known to the police.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Roshan Parasram said during a media briefing on Monday that people had been detained under the Quarantine Act but no one had been charged.
Parasram announced that there was local spread, one step away from community spread.
According to the Quarantine Act, a person who defied quarantine can be fined $50,000 and jailed for six months.
He is not positive
At today’s COVID-19 press conference, National Security Minister Stuart Young said the “run-away” was brought to his attention, and he contacted the Health Minister and Police Commissioner Gary Griffith.
He said that the person was quarantined, and decided he no longer wanted to be there.
“The police are looking for him right now,” said Young.
Young assured the population that the man had not tested positive for COVID-19 and that the police officer who sent out an alert to his fellow officers may have been too hasty in his actions.
He said, “of course, you don’t want someone who is put in quarantine running around outside”.
Young said that the person’s family and community would know who he is, and people were being encouraged to make contact with the police.
