Man held on Isle of Man for refusing virus quarantine rules

The authorities on the Isle of Man have arrested a man for failing to comply with strict measures on visitors to prevent the spread of coronavirus, police said Friday, in the first use of tough penalties introduced this week.

The British Crown dependency, situated off northwest England, has warned anyone breaching minimum 14-day quarantine regulations faces a fine of up to GBP 10,000 (USD 11,800, 11,000 euros) or three months in prison.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle said the measures, which were introduced on Tuesday, applied to everyone, regardless of whether they were displaying symptoms of the disease.

"We currently have one male in police custody for failing to adhere to the new legislation requiring him to self-isolate," the Isle of Man Constabulary said in a statement.

The arrested man has been placed in a designated, specially cleaned area, it added.

The Isle of Man government earlier confirmed the first case of COVID-19 on the island -- a patient who had recently returned from Spain.

On Monday, Quayle said schools remained open and testing had begun for the virus but the government in Douglas had not imposed a ban on public gatherings.

This year's edition of the Isle of Man TT race, which attracts motorcyclists from around the world, has been cancelled, as have local authority elections, he added.

The government has also advised against non-essential travel off the island.

The Isle of Man -- with Jersey and Guernsey -- are internally self-governing possessions of the British crown for which the United Kingdom is responsible under international law.

In Britain, there have been 3,269 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 144 deaths.