Credit;PA
A 26-year-old man has become the first person to be arrested in the British Isles for failing to self-isolate after being detained in the Isle of Man.
Police confirmed an unnamed British man was arrested after failing to self-isolate after arriving in the Isle of Man last night.
The Isle of Man, which is a self-governing British Crown dependency, passed emergency legislation on Tuesday to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.
Police have been instructed to arrest anyone who arrives on the island who fails to isolate for a 14-day period, even if they show no symptoms.
He is the first Briton to be arrested for breaching strict quarantine rules which have been imposed in an effort to stop the spread of the killer virus.
He is now facing a fine of up to £10,000 and could be jailed for three months.
The arrest comes just as the Isle of Man confirmed its first case of Coronavirus today.
The Chief Minister for the Isle of Man Howard Quayle declared emergency measures on Monday in light of the global Coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Quayle said: “We are taking action to protect our residents and to ensure life can continue as normal as possible during this unpredictable time.
“We are advising against all non-essential travel off the Island, and the measures being introduced from tomorrow are aimed at minimising the risk of those arriving in the Island infecting our population.”
In a statement posted this morning, the police said they had a man in custody for allegedly failing to adhere to the new legislation requiring him to self-isolate.
Police said: “Please follow the guidance issued by the government and think about the safety of the community.
“This is an ever-evolving situation and it is important we act in the best interests of keeping people safe.”
This comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock also declared new legislation in the UK which would give unprecedented powers to law enforcement agencies.
The new bill would allow law enforcement agencies to detain people and put them in “appropriate isolation facilities”.
The Health Secretary said the powers in the bill were “proportionate to the threat we face” but stressed they would only be used “when strictly necessary”.
The man is due to appear in court today.
