SOURCE: The Sun – LOVE Island star Zara Holland was arrested as she “tried to flee” Barbados with boyfriend Elliott Love after he tested positive for Covid-19.
Caribbean cops swooped on ex-beauty queen Zara, 25, and her fella as they allegedly tried to board a plane home to avoid being admitted to a quarantine facility.
The holidaying couple, who had planned to celebrate New Year on the paradise isle, were held on suspicion of flouting strict coronavirus regulations.
They could now face criminal charges including endangering the lives of others, an £18,000 fine each and a year in prison.
Former Miss Great Britain Zara and self-employed Elliott, 30, were swabbed when they arrived in Barbados on Sunday afternoon and ordered to isolate in their hotel room to await the results.
When Elliott’s test came back positive on Tuesday, the pair were given red identity wristbands and told they would be taken to the island’s Paragon Military Base, which has been turned into a coronavirus quarantine centre.
But before hazmat-suited health officials arrived to collect them, Zara and Elliott allegedly cut off their wristbands, booked a flight and fled to the airport in a cab.
A member of staff at their hotel, the £300-a-night beach front Sugar Bay resort, is said to have found the severed bands and called police — who swooped on the couple going through security.
Elliott and Zara, who now runs a fashion boutique with her mum Cheryl, were last night being held on a Covid ward at the St Lucy Hospital in northern Barbados.
The couple have visited the island before and were pictured there in 2017.
Island chief medical officer Dr Kenneth George said several British tourists have flouted the island’s Covid-19 rules.
He said: “There are three tourists who are of special interest. Two are in quarantine and one in police custody. Two were apprehended at the airport. This is a police matter and I trust that the appropriate evidence will be submitted.”
A spokesman for the country’s Ministry of Health and Wellness added: “We have had several verified complaints of breaches of Covid-19 protocols with respect to visitors in quarantine.
“Police have held for questioning at least three tourists in relation to alleged breaches.
“These rules and regulations have been put in place to protect workers in the hotel sector, and the rest of the country.
“We will take firm action against any individuals who breach protocols.”
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Many tourist are asking if they can tear off the wrist bands , check out FB and you will see for yourself
Its time the law is upheld just as vigorously against our visitors asit is against our people we need their custom but they must respect our laws. Fines should be fully paid before they depart with encrease traffic to the island something was always likely to happen. I continue to wish Barbados well in their fight against pandemic and be stern with the disrespectful law breakers native or foreign.
Well done Barbados if they can carry on over here like that, and go to someone’s country to do the same foolishness them wrong. Most of the British came down flooding the beaches front last week Sunday
Its wrong.
They done the crime, pay for it now. They have put the island at danger. Desrespectful.
I hope whomever brought them back from the airport didn’t used kid gloves! I would have grabbed them by the scruff of their necks and throw their ….. in the waiting transport vehicle. These people will not respect this little island’s rules. Don’t you people know any better? These people know that Barbados is depending on their money so you can’t do them anything. Non caring humans that’s what they are.
This is typical of how some UK residents are treating the virus, no care or thought for anyone but themselves, hence why we are in the terrible state at the moment when travelling abroad you have to think about the people of the country your visiting, we have been coming to Barbados for the last 20 years and will be back as soon as we have been vaccinated, could not live with ourselves if we passed anything on to others, and rules are rules not to be used and abused, stay safe to all in Barbados.
Goodness, how hard is it to quarantine in a hotel on a Caribbean island, and wait for results?? SMH.