Dutch Teenager Confirmed with COVID-19 Arrested Attempting to Escape to Switzerland Using Fake Negative Test Result

On the bridge in Zurich, Switzerland, citizens lit candles on the 30th of last month (local time) for a memorial gathering honoring the victims of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] A Dutch teenager infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was arrested for attempting to secretly leave Switzerland by forging a test certificate.

According to local media, a 17-year-old teenager who visited the Swiss canton of Valais, home to famous ski resorts, tested positive for COVID-19 after being tested locally. However, he violated quarantine measures and tried to secretly board a flight to Amsterdam to return to the Netherlands but was caught by police at Zurich Airport, local media reported on the 5th (local time).

At the time, he reportedly showed the police a forged test result indicating a negative result. He is facing charges of violating quarantine laws and document forgery, and was immediately taken by ambulance back to the canton of Valais after his arrest.

Switzerland pushed ahead with opening ski resorts despite opposition from neighboring countries concerned about the spread of COVID-19. After the spread of variant viruses, the country restricted entry from the UK, but recently, hundreds of British tourists fled quarantine at a ski resort located in Valais.

According to Swiss authorities, variant viruses have been reported in 7 of the 26 cantons, including Geneva and Zurich.

According to the real-time statistics site Worldometer, Switzerland, with a population of about 8.7 million, reported 4,020 new COVID-19 cases and 100 new deaths as of this date. The cumulative confirmed cases stand at 465,981, with a total of 8,018 deaths.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.