A man was arrested for damaging property and attacking a policeman while waiting for his COVID-19 test at the public Conde de S. Januário Hospital Centre on Monday, Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman Lai In Hong said during yesterday’s regular press conference.
The jobless 30-year-old non-permanent resident surnamed Wang told the police that he has no fixed address in Macau.
Lai said that Wang entered Macau via the Barrier Gate checkpoint on Monday afternoon, after which he was taken to the public hospital for his mandatory nucleic acid test (NAT) to confirm that he has not been infected with the novel coronavirus.
Wang was dissatisfied with having to wait for about an hour to take the test. He was also upset that he could not leave the hospital premises to smoke outside. Losing his temper, he started to scream and then damaged a mattress topper and curtain rails. Two police officers rushed to the ward to stop him from wreaking further havoc.
Wang struggled and refused to be handcuffed, injuring one of the officers’ hands in the process. Wang was finally subdued by the two officers. While Wang promised to compensate the hospital for the damage, the hospital management insists that a criminal investigation into the incident be launched, according to Lai.
Wang was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Monday, facing charges of causing aggravated damage and resisting police authority, according to Lai.
