Woman sentenced for quarantine breach

A 52-year-old woman was sentenced by the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to 14 days’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, for violating a compulsory quarantine order in July 2021.

Having been ordered to quarantine at home for 14 days, the woman was found to have left her residence on July 8, before the order expired, without reasonable excuse or having obtained permission from an authorised officer.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said the sentence sent a clear message to the community that breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence, and reminded the public of the need to comply with the regulations. 

Offenders are subject to a maximum fine of HK$25,000 and six months’ imprisonment.

To date, a total of 221 individuals have been convicted by the courts for breaching quarantine orders, receiving sentences including immediate imprisonment for up to 14 weeks and fines of up to HK$15,000.