Police Officers attached to the Gros Islet Police Station have formally arrested and charged a female in relation to alleged breaches of the COVID-19 protocols.
About 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 27, 2020, at Pigeon Island, Gros Islet, a female non-national was approached by Peace Officers (COVID Wardens) after they observed that she was not adhering to the mask-wearing requirement in a public place. The officers reported that she was cautioned to do so, but refused, proceeding to hurl expletives at them. She was taken into custody for the refusal to adhere to the enacted laws.
The female in question has been identified as, Johanna Koivulchto, a thirty-year-old national of Finland, residing at Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. She has been charged with the offences of Swearing or Using Abusive or Indecent Language in Public Place (Contrary to Section 508 of the Criminal Code Chapter 3.01 of the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia 2013) and Failing to Wear a Mask or Suitable Covering Over the Nose or Mouth in Public (Contrary to Section 21 (a) (1) of the COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Act No. 9 of 2020. She is currently in police custody awaiting a bail hearing.