The Isle of Man has instructed police to arrest anyone who arrives on the Island and fails to self-isolate for 14 days (Picture: Henryk Sadura Travel)

A British man faces three months in prison or a £10,000 fine after being arrested for allegedly failing to self-isolate.

Police confirmed an unnamed male Briton, 26, was detained after arriving in the Isle of Man on Thursday night.

The island, which is a self-governing British Crown dependency, passed emergency legislation on Tuesday to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak. Police have been instructed to arrest any arrivals who fail to isolate for a 14-day period, even if they show no symptoms.

The man is the first Briton to be arrested for breaching strict quarantine rules which have been imposed in several countries in an effort to stop the spread of the killer virus. He is now facing a fine of up to £10,000 and could be jailed for three months.


Howard Quayle Chief Minister of the Government of the Isle of Man introduced emergency measures to stop the spread of coronavirus (Picture:PA)

The arrest comes just as the Isle of Man confirmed its first case of Coronavirus today. Despite having no cases until now, the Chief Minister for the region Howard Quayle declared emergency measures on Monday in light of the global coronavirus pandemic.



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Mr Quayle said: ‘We are taking action to protect our residents and to ensure life can continue as normal as possible during this unpredictable time.

‘We are advising against all non-essential travel off the Island, and the measures being introduced from tomorrow are aimed at minimising the risk of those arriving in the Island infecting our population.’

The man is due to appear in court later today.

The man is due to appear in court after refusing to self-isolate upon arrival to the Isle of Man

Police in the UK have also been given emergency powers to fine and arrest people for failing to self isolate (Picture: Getty)

Confirming the arrest in a statement posted this morning, police said: ‘Please follow the guidance issued by the government and think about the safety of the community.

‘This is an ever-evolving situation and it is important we act in the best interests of keeping people safe.’

This comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock also declared new legislation in the UK which would give unprecedented powers to law enforcement agencies.

Police, public health and immigration officers will be able to detain people suspected of having Covid-19 and dish out £1,000 fines for refusing tests under emergency powers rolled out by the government in the emergency Coronavirus Bill yesterday.

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