Texan Busted For Falsely Claiming To Have COVID-19 On Social Media

A Texas resident was arrested for falsely claiming to have contacted COVID-19 and spread the news on social media.

The Tyler County District Attorney's Office said in a Facebook post that the unidentified individual reported on social media that they tested positive for COVID-19 at Tyler County Hospital over the weekend.

The anomalous issue was quickly tackled by the Tyler County Sheriff's Office and delivered to the District Attorney's Office. The individual has been charged with Class A Misdemeanor and False Alarm/False Report, the post added.

In a separate post reported by the New York Post, the Tyler County District Attorney's Office reiterated that anyone spreading false reports on COVID-19 that one “knows is false or baseless” is a criminal offense in the State of Texas.

The faux report came after an inmate at a Texas penitentiary was put to isolation after telling jail officers he may have exposed to the virus prior to his arrest.

The inmate's claim, however, was described to be “pretty unrealistic” by Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.

Medical professionals who evaluated the 49-year-old, who was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault-family violence, was more likely sickened with the flu or cold.

Out of caution, the inmate was isolated in a negative pressure cell to prevent any illness from spreading within the facility, said the San Antonio Express-News, through Fox News.