A 62-year-old man was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for four weeks by the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (August 16) for violating the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation (Cap. 599C).
The man was issued a compulsory quarantine order when he entered Hong Kong on August 31, 2020, stating that he must conduct quarantine at home for 14 days. Before the expiry of the quarantine order, he tried to leave Hong Kong on the same day, without reasonable excuse nor permission given by an authorised officer and was stopped by an immigration officer at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point. He was charged with two counts of contravening sections 8(1), 8(4) and 8(5) of the Regulation and was sentenced by the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today to immediate imprisonment for four weeks for each of the two charges, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Breaching a compulsory quarantine order is a criminal offence and offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months. A spokesman for the Department of Health said the sentence sends a clear message to the community that breaching a quarantine order is a criminal offence that the Government will not tolerate, and solemnly reminded the public to comply with the regulations. As of today, a total of 169 persons have been convicted by the courts for breaching quarantine orders and have received sentences including immediate imprisonment for up to 14 weeks or a fine of up to $15,000. The spokesman reiterated that resolute actions will be taken against anyone who has breached the relevant regulations.
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