HEOC issues warning over acts of vandalism in isolation facilities

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeq said that some people transferred to isolation facilities were vandalizing property, and that the authorities will not hesitate to take legal action if such actions are repeated.

At a HEOC press conference on Saturday evening, Nazla, an epidemiologist, said that authorities have noticed significant damaged to isolation facilities.

“We are noticing that screens are cut, bed sheets are destroyed, and items in rooms are damaged. We have also noticed in facilities that items are used a very unhygienic manner, and rooms are very dirty,” she said.

Nazla said that authorities do not wish to be forced to take legal action for damage to facilities. However, she said that facilities are rented by the government at great expense, and that authorities will not hesitate to take legal action if such actions are repeated.

“The government is renting these places to keep them. It entails significant expenses. Therefore, the government needs to pay compensation if there’s any damage. If this is frequently repeated, we will be forced to obtain [compensation] from the person who is causing the damage, and to take additional action. We will not hesitate to take action if this is frequently repeated. But we don’t want it to reach that point,” she said.

Nazla said that authorities had faced similar issues in the past, but that they were resolved after authorities raised the issue. She said that such incidents were increasing in frequency once again, and appealed to people not to repeat such destructive behavior, and to act responsibly when in facilities.