British man Mark Rumble was deported from Thailand in late January to face Class A drug supply charges in the United Kingdom.
A few days after his deportation, the British tabloid The Daily Mail reported Rumble was being tested for a coronavirus infection after collapsing in his jail cell at HMP Bullingdon.
In true Daily Mail fashion, they wrote about the story as if Thai officials had deported Mark Rumble before making sure he was free of coronavirus infection. That had apparently caused a panic in a British prison after his collapse.
Of course, this was not true, and that was clarified by Department of Corrections Director General Naras Savestanan yesterday, who said Rumble had had a thorough check-up by a Thai doctor, including an x-ray, before he was deported to the UK.
“He was found healthy and had no fever” Naras said. Also we x-rayed him and tested for tuberculosis from his phlegm”.
An examination it appears Thai corrections officials carried out properly as, back in the UK, Rumble tested negative for the coronavirus yesterday.
Rumble was arrested in Pattaya, Thailand in November and spent time in a Thai jail until his deportation to the UK late last month. He denies all charges.
Meanwhile, 83 Brits that were evacuated from Wuhan more than two weeks ago were freed from quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral in Merseyside today.
All members of the group remain virus-free.
British cases of the coronavirus are now at nine, with a Chinese woman testing positive for the virus on Sunday. She had arrived in the UK, where she lives, from China the day before.
British health officials are telling the general public to ready themselves for more cases of the virus to emerge in coming days and weeks.
