Regional Government to press criminal charges against infected passenger who arrived in Ponta Delgada
The President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro, announced that the Government will formally press criminal charges against the passenger infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, who arrived in Ponta Delgada.
The criminal charges will be pressed by the Regional Secretariat for Health for the crimes of disobedience, false statements and disease transmission.
The passenger in question incurs the crime of disobedience, punishable by prison for up to 2 years and 8 months, for not having complied with the duty of confinement determined by law since he had already tested positive for COVID-19 infection in Porto.
The same passenger incurs the crime of false statements, punishable by imprisonment for up to 1 year, for stating in the questionnaire filled in prior to his departure to Ponta Delgada that he did not come from an area with active community transmission and that he had no contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient.
Additionally, he incurs the crime of disease transmission, punishable by prison for up to 8 years, for, despite knowing that he was infected with COVID-19, having travelled and, therefore, adopted a behaviour that encouraged the spread of the virus.
The individual, a male, non-resident in the Region, was receiving hospital care at home in the city of Porto, from where he escaped.
Following a warning issued by the medical team accompanying the patient, the Municipal Health Delegate of Ponta Delgada has taken the necessary steps, namely the intervention of security forces and the transport of the individual to the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital.
The individual took the flight TP 1867 that departed from Lisbon with destination to Ponta Delgada, where he arrived at 11 am of April 5.