Woman facing charge after being accused of false COVID-19 claim

Gatineau police have warned that charges will be laid against people who lie about having COVID-19 after doing just that to a 21-yearold Gatineau woman who falsely claimed to have tested positive.

Police interviewed the woman in a home in Gatineau on Tuesday. Another person in the home was taken to a police station to meet with investigators.

Later in the day, the woman claimed she had tested positively for COVID-19. Police reacted by applying the force’s COVID-19 protocol. Several officers and employees were quarantined and the force urgently decontaminated several locations and vehicles.

An investigation revealed the woman was not sick and had never been tested for COVID-19. A warrant for her arrest was issued and she was charged with obstructing a peace officer. She remains at home while she waits to appear in court.

In a statement, Gatineau police said they would lay charges if someone knowingly provided incorrect information about their health.

“Officers are first responders and must absolutely be promptly provided with precise and truthful information about the health of the individuals with whom they are interacting during police interventions.”

Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and knowingly infects someone else could also be charged with causing bodily harm or criminal negligence. The same is true for a person who has tested positive and deliberately coughs or spits at an officer, Gatineau police said.

Those who fail to comply with mandatory isolation requirements following a return to Canada from another country, or after testing positive, may be criminally charged with public nuisance or fined.

Under the Public Health Act, police officers may file a general offence report with fines ranging from $1,000 to $6,000, police said.

On Wednesday, the Ottawa Police Service charged a 28-year-old man with assaulting police, causing a disturbance and breach of probation after he allegedly spat on an officer in the ByWard Market.