Bahrain: “Jail Term and Hefty Fines” for Breaking Quarantine
Bahrain has toughened its fight to curb the outbreak of COVID-19 by imposing hefty penalties and prison times for coronavirus patients that break quarantine.
“Violating the decisions of the health minister on communicable diseases constitutes a crime under Bahrain’s laws,” Hussain Bu Ali, the chief prosecutor of ministries and public entities, said. If convicted, violators will face a “jail term of not less than three months or a fine between BD1,000 and BD10,000 or both.”
“Therefore, the failure by any individual to comply with the isolation measures taken to deal with infection or suspicion of contracting the virus, including leaving the place designated for his isolation, be it a health institution or his home, entails criminal accountability,” explained Hussain Bu Ali.
Bahrain’s Public Health Law no 34 of 2018 allows the concerned minister to take appropriate actions to deal with communicable diseases, including coronavirus, by initiating necessary procedures for prevention, isolation and treatment.
Bu Ali said the authority is currently investigating reports of a doctor, a lawyer and a businessman in the Kingdom who had broken quarantine measures put in place by the ministry. The three accused, he said, will face the prosecution at the end of their quarantine period. The chief prosecutor also called on all citizens and residents to abide fully by the measures placed to combat the virus and prevent its spread.
