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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
London, Sydney- Asharq Al-Awsat

Australian Jailed for Violating Virus Quarantine to Meet Girlfriend

Australian Police | Reuters

An Australian, who repeatedly snuck out of coronavirus quarantine, reportedly to visit his girlfriend, was jailed for a month, to become the first person imprisoned under the country's lockdown laws. According to AFP, Jonathan David, 35, was arrested earlier this month after slipping out of mandatory quarantine at a Perth hotel, Western Australia Police said in a statement.

He told Perth's Court that he first flouted the law to get food but hours later broke quarantine again because he missed his girlfriend, Seven News reported.

By escaping through the fire exit, he successfully avoided hotel staff several times but was caught on CCTV, police said. Under laws aimed at stopping the spread of the virus, David was required to isolate for 14 days after arriving in Perth from the southeastern state of Victoria on March 28. If he had remained in his hotel room, he would have been freed on Monday, but instead he will spend a full month in jail and has been handed a fine of more than AUS$2,000 (US$1,280).

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