A Brampton man faces a mischief charge after Peel police say he lied about coming into contact with a person who has coronavirus because he “simply wanted some time off of work.”

Peel police said in a news release that the 39-year-old suspect was employed at a Brampton business, which had to shut down after he told his employer on Friday that a family member had tested positive for COVID-19.

Police were notified by the owner of the business on Monday after he contacted the family member in question and found out that they were not sick. Upon investigating, police also determined that there was no family member exposed or sick.

“It seems that in this instance, the man simply wanted some time off of work,” said Const. Kyle Villers.

The suspect is facing public mischief charges and will appear at the Ontario Court of Justin in Brampton at a future date.

This comes a week after a McDonald’s employee in Hamilton was charged with mischief and fraud after allegedly faking a doctor’s note that said she had tested positive for COVID-19.

The restaurant was forced to close for several days while a cleaning crew worked to disinfect the property.

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