Florida couple jailed after breaking coronavirus quarantine

Pair face up to 60 days in jail if convicted

Jose Antonio Freire Interian and his partner Yohana Anahi Gonzalez were arrested on Thursday, 19 July in the Florida Keys after authorities said they violated quarantine rules (Monroe County Sheriff's Office via AP)

A couple in Florida has been arrested for allegedly breaking a mandatory coronavirus quarantine order, officials have said.

Jose Antonio Freire Interian, 24, and Yohana Anahi Gonzalez, 26, were arrested on Wednesday in Key West on two misdemeanour charges, The Miami Herald reported.

Both Mr Interian and and Ms Gonzalez allegedly failed to follow an isolation order from the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County requiring the couple to remain at home for 14 days and wear face masks around others, according to the newspaper.

A property manager at their apartment complex was said to have told authorities the couple was not complying with the quarantine and going about their daily lives as usual.

A police report alleged Mr Interia had made several trips outside his home without wearing a mask including to walk his dog, go to the grocery store, and wash his car.

Both were charged with violating the state law requiring isolation or quarantine in a public health emergency and violating emergency management, The Herald reported.

Both charges could be punishable by up to 60 days in jail.

Mr Interian and and Ms Gonzalez were both reportedly released from the Stock Island Detention Centre on Thursday after posting $1,000 (£764) in bail each.

The state of Florida has 461,000 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 6,500 deaths as of Friday.