Police in New Brunswick say they arrested a man for assault after he “purposely” coughed in someone’s face while feeling ill.
Officers with the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force responded to a home in Rothesay, N.B., just before 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, the police force said in a statement.
Upon arrival, officers found a group of people in a dispute over two others not properly self-isolating after recent international travel.
The incident ended with a man, who has not been named, being arrested for assault after purposely coughing in someone’s face while feeling ill, as well as uttering threats.
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“During these difficult times, we ask everyone to respect the health and safety of all individuals, including first responders and health care professionals by refraining from irresponsible and needless behaviours such as this,” the police force said.
New Brunswick officials have launched a COVID-19 non-compliance hotline for people to report concerns around self-isolating and other related disturbances. The branch overseeing those complaints was later notified of the incident, police added.
In that province, there have been 33 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, as of Friday, March 27.
This week, the B.C. government announced that municipal and district bylaw officers would be enabled to support enforcement of the provincial health officer’s orders which include restaurant closures, a ban on large gatherings and ban on secondary resales of food and supplies.
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