Laurence Dollimore
A MAN is being investigated after boarding a flight from Madrid to Lanzarote while unknowingly infected with COVID-19.
The 53-year-old had been ordered to wait for the results of a PCR test before travelling but booked and took the flight regardless.
Europa Press reported that the man had been with his family in Ciudad Real, where his mother was battling cancer.
She died on May 23 and was found to have been infected with COVID-19, as had another member of the family, the latter of which the man had had contact with.
While onboard the flight, his sister rang to tell him his test result had come back positive.
Authorities immediately contacted their counterparts in Lanzarote, who arranged to have police and paramedics meet the passenger on the runway.
The man, who will likely face a hefty fine, and 14 other passengers, will now spend two weeks in self-isolation in their homes.
When he discovered he had tested positive, the man reportedly warned the pilot and sat at the back of the plane to keep as far away from others as possible.
Health minister for the Canary Islands Julio Perez added: “Another passenger who has symptoms compatible with coronavirus has been transferred to a hospital to undergo tests.”
The remaining 126 passengers have been offered free accommodation at a hotel to self-isolate if they wish (35 have accepted). All passengers are being monitored.
It comes after Lanzarote had not registered any positive cases since April 30, with the island expecting to enter Phase 3 of the de-escalation plan on June 8.
It only takes one and everybody else has to suffer.