NAPANEE, Ont. — Ontario Provincial Police say they have charged a 22-year-old man for allegedly claiming to have COVID-19 to avoid a traffic ticket.
OPP East Region spokesperson Bill Dickson says the G1-licensed driver was driving in Napanee, Ont., west of Kingston, Ont., on Tuesday when officers on patrol noticed the vehicle had unauthorized license plates.
Dickson says the driver indicated that he was positive for COVID-19.
But police say when paramedics arrived, the man admitted that he lied and had not been tested for COVID-19.
Provincial police have charged the Ontario man under the Highway Traffic Act, as well as obstructing officers under the Quarantine Act.
Dickson says if someone is positive for the illness, that doesn't mean police will let them off for breaking the law.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2020.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Canadian Press
