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Australian man who escaped quarantine and sparked lockdown sent to jail

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: Dec 22, 2021, 03:19 AM IST
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Representative image. 43 arrested for exploiting undocumented migrant workers. Photograph:(Agencies)

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The man was told by the authorities to remain in quarantine in a hotel for two weeks. However, he left the hotel before the quarantine period was over

An Australian man who absconded from quarantine sparking a lockdown has been sentenced to five months in jail. The man from Australia's New South Wales state absconded quarantine in Hobart, capital of Australian island state of Tasmania.

Timothy Gunn, the man in question, on arriving in Tasmania lied to authorities that he had come from Queensland when in fact he had flown in from New South Wales. He was told by the authorities to remain in quarantine in Travelodge hotel for two weeks. However, Gunn left the hotel before the quarantine period was over.

He then stayed in Woolworths, a suburb of Hobart. He even shared a house with several.

Authorities arrested Gunn and on testing, he was found to be Covid positive. This sparked a lockdown and state authorities enforced mask mandate. 

After he was arrested, Timothy Gunn was presented before a magistrate. The magistrate court sentenced him to five months in jail. Two months out of the total sentence were suspended. The sentence was backdated to late October. Gunn was taken into custody at that time.

As per reports, the magistrate noted that Timothy Gunn did not know that he was infected with Covid when he was out. There were no Covid cases linked to him in the record.

The state government has tightened security at the Travelodge hotel where the quarantine breach took place. Surveillance cameras have been installed as well.