Group of Men Slapped with ‘Social Distancing’ Charge

Joseph Myvett

Police say that they have arrested a group of men for failing to comply with the social distancing act in light of COVID-19.  The arrest was made at a bar in the north, where the owner of the establishment was also slapped with a separate charge for refusing to close his liquor establishment. Assistant Commissioner of Police Joseph Myvett tells us more.

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“On Saturday, sometime around eight p.m., Corozal Police was on patrol in Libertad Village and also responding to a complaint where they visited a bar in Libertad Village, where upon arrival they observed several persons congregating together very closely and drinking. As a result, those persons were spoken to and they were learnt to be twenty-six-year-old Isaiah Sedacy; forty-two-year-old Jose Velasquez; eighteen-year-old Jose Chan; twenty-one-year-old Eugene Fuentes; thirty-nine-year-old Jeremy Martinez and a seventeen-year-old; who were all detained along with bar owner fifty-year-old  Jose Quintanilla. Those persons, with the exception of Jose Quintanilla, were charged for failing to comply with social distancing, while Quintanilla was charged for refusing to close liquor establishment when required to do so by the act.”

Reporter

“Explain to us enforcement and why it was that these persons were violating the law. Explain for the people at home what they need to do to ensure that they aren’t arrested under this particular act?”

ACP Joseph Myvett

“Well, there have been several releases from the committee at this point in time which has been made public where they were urging the social distancing where persons need to be at least three feet apart, as well as other issues in relation to that being gatherings. Hence, the reason why we are conducting those investigations and there have been a number of information coming to the police in relation to these issues where the police are responding to and charges are being instituted against these persons.”

Reporter

“Sir, are police finding that you have a lot of citizens not responding the social distancing calls?”

ACP Joseph Myvett

“There are some but yes in many instances people are respecting the social distancing.”