Islanders David Maxime (29) and Margarita Farfan (32) flew home on 3 August from Luxembourg via London and should have quarantined in their St Helier apartment for 14 days, the Magistrate’s Court heard.
But at 2.30pm on 7 August a States police officer visited their home at Val Plaisant and found that they were out.
When the officer caught up with the couple, they told him they had been shopping and admitted that they could have made other arrangements. They also admitted going for a walk and were subsequently charged.
Outlining the case, Crown Advocate Lauren Hallam, prosecuting, said that the couple, who had no previous convictions, had their self-isolation obligations explained to them when they arrived at the Airport.
They pleaded guilty to breaching the Covid-19 (Screening, Assessment and Isolation) (Jersey) Regulations 2020.
During the hearing, Maxime, speaking on behalf of the pair, read out a statement.
‘I would like to apologise for wasting the time of the court and to the public of Jersey for our imprudent behaviour. We should not have left our apartment,’ he said.
‘This behaviour is out of character for us and we have no reasons for breaking the law. We agree that we committed the offence and take responsibility for it.
‘It will not happen again and we will be exemplary citizens.’
Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu said he viewed the offences particularly seriously, given that the couple had gone shopping, where large numbers of other Islanders were likely to have been present.
He said: ‘The rules may be inconvenient but they are there to save the lives of the people of the Island of Jersey.’
Mr Le Cornu fined the couple £800 each and warned them that they would be jailed for three weeks if they did not pay.
On 28 March laws were introduced forcing anyone arriving in Jersey to self-isolate for 14 days.
Following a lengthy debate in the States in July, the rules were changed and a traffic-light system introduced with low-risk places being classed as green, medium-risk as amber and high-risk as red.
Passengers arriving from red countries or regions are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Those travelling from amber jurisdictions have to isolate for five days and provide a negative PCR test result taken from their fifth day of quarantine.
Green-zone passengers can choose to self-isolate for 14 days or take a PCR test on arrival, removing their requirement to self-isolate pending a negative result.
