‘CRIMINAL OFFENSE’

Texan Charged for Falsely Claiming They Tested Positive for COVID-19

The unidentified person was charged with making a “false alarm/false report,” which is a class A misdemeanor.

A Texas person has been charged for falsely claiming on social media over the weekend that they tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The Tyler County District Attorney’s office charged the unidentified person with making a “false alarm/false report,” which is categorized as a “class A misdemeanor.” The district attorney’s office said that the person dubiously claimed that they were tested at Tyler County Hospital and the incident was “promptly investigated.” District Attorney Lucas Babin wrote in a Facebook post earlier on Monday: “Knowingly communicating, initiating, or circulating a false report/false alarm of COVID-19 that one *knows is false or baseless*, and that would ordinarily cause action by an official or interrupt the occupation of any place of assembly, can be a criminal offense in the State of Texas.”