A plane flying from Toronto to Montego Bay, Jamaica, was forced to turn around mid-flight on Monday after a man told his fellow passengers that he was infected with the coronavirus. The passenger was 28-year-old James Potok, an aspiring musician from Ontario, who says he decided to falsely claim he had the illness in order to create a viral video to post on his social media channels.
… According to a statement from police, at around 1PM Monday Potok “stood up and announced that he had been to China and ha[d] the coronavirus.” The announcement was then shared with the flight crew, who decided to return the flight to Toronto.
… Potok was charged and will have to appear in court in March.