27 violators of COVID-19 quarantine held in Medina

Cairo: Saudi police had arrested 27 more persons infected with COVID-19 for breaching quarantine rules in the holy city of Medina, a security official said, in the latest reported crackdown on violators of isolation regulations in the kingdom to limit the spread of the virus.

Spokesman for police in the Medina region Lt. Col Husain Al Qahtani added that the violators were arrested in coordination with a committee in charge of implementing precautionary measures.

“They were arrested for violating the isolation instructions after they were found to have been infected with coronavirus,” he said.

The official added that legal procedures have been taken against them to enforce related penalties by the competent agency.

According to Saudi law, violations of quarantine rules are punishable by a maximum fine of SR200,000 or jailing of up to two years or both penalties. Repeat offenders face double punishment.

If the violator is non-Saudi, he/she is punished by deportation from the kingdom and barred from re-entry for ever after carrying out the penalty ordered over the offence.