Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

Charges dropped for Georgia woman exposed to COVID-19, but refused quarantine

ATLANTA, GA - UNDATED: This undated handout photo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a microscopic view of the Coronavirus at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. According to the CDC the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) might be a "previously unrecognized virus from the Coronavirus family." (Photo by CDC/Getty Images)

Credit: CDC

Credit: CDC

ATLANTA, GA - UNDATED: This undated handout photo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a microscopic view of the Coronavirus at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. According to the CDC the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) might be a "previously unrecognized virus from the Coronavirus family." (Photo by CDC/Getty Images)
By
April 15, 2020

Charges were dropped against a west Georgia woman who had been exposed to the coronavirus, but refused to self-quarantine, authorities said Wednesday.

The woman had been ordered to isolate herself after her boyfriend tested positive for the virus, the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office said.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: Everything you need to know about the coronavirus

The woman was spotted April 7 in Tallapoosa, and citizens called police, who arrested her. She was charged with criminal trespassing.

“Due to the fact that she has been directly exposed to COVID-19, we are unable to house her in our jail because we cannot expose other inmates to this virus,” the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.

Instead, she was temporarily housed by herself in a camper to avoid potentially spreading the virus to others. After testing negative for the coronavirus, the Tallapoosa police department dropped the charge and the woman was released, the Haralson Sheriff’s Office said.

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Alexis Stevens is a member of the Crime and Public Safety team.

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