Coronavirus: First British arrest after man breaks quarantine

Isle of Man government has brought in powers to force anyone arriving on island to self-isolate

The first arrest of a person for breaking coronavirus regulations has been made in the British Isles.

Police in the Isle of Man said they had taken a man into custody for “for failing to adhere to the new legislation requiring him to self-isolate”.

“Please follow the guidance issued by the government and think about the safety of the community,” a spokesperson said.

“This is an ever-evolving situation and it is important we act in the best interests of keeping people safe.”

The self-governing British crown dependency, which sits in the Irish Sea, has brought in its own laws to tackle the coronavirus epidemic.

Powers to detain and forcibly isolate people with symptoms came into force earlier this month and allow people to be detained for 48 hours for testing, and to held in hospital for two weeks.

Any new arrivals in the Isle of Man are required to self-isolate for 14 days even if they are not showing symptoms.

Anyone who does not follow the rules could face a £10,000 fine or three months in jail.

By Friday morning, the territory had one confirmed coronavirus case after conducting 52 tests.

“The patient had recently returned to the Isle of Man from a trip to Spain,” a spokesperson for the Isle of Man government said.

“The public health team has been in touch with the patient to provide advice and support, and will start contact tracing.”

The 2020 Isle of Man TT race has been cancelled (Getty)

The chief minister, Howard Quayle, announced the cancellation of the famed Isle of Man TT motorcycle race but has not yet closed schools or restricted public gatherings.

“We are taking action to protect our residents and to ensure life can continue as normal as possible during this unpredictable time,” he said.

“We are advising against all non-essential travel off the Island, and the measures being introduced are aimed at minimising the risk of those arriving in the Island infecting our population.”

The Isle of Man’s public health directorate said it was working with the British government to implement Public Health England guidance.

MPs warned on Thursday that measures brought in by Westminster will “significantly curtail” fundamental freedoms in Britain but could be justified by the risk to life posed by coronavirus.

Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights said it would be thoroughly scrutinising new laws and the action taken by authorities.

Chair Harriet Harman said: “It is vitally important that checks and balances are in place to ensure that human rights are not disregarded, and that people remain fully protected under the law.”

An emergency Coronavirus Bill has been published setting out measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus and supporting the NHS and its workers.

Police have already been given new powers to detain anyone with suspected symptoms and force them to undergo testing or be quarantined, although senior officers insisted they would “not be used willy nilly”.