Malta flight to Sicily turns back after passenger refuses to wear mask

VALLETTA, Malta — A flight from Malta to Catania, Sicily was forced to turn back shortly after take-off on Monday morning because a passenger refused to wear a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A court was told that a 24-year-old Italian woman resident in Bulgaria got into an argument with cabin crew on the 20-minute flight, refusing to wear a mask despite being warned of the health risks she posed to everyone on board.

The aircraft returned to Malta and the woman was immediately arrested and taken to court. She admitted to having disobeyed the legitimate instructions of crew members.

The court handed her a six-month jail term suspended for two years. — Reuters