Mother ‘put her son in car boot after he tested positive’ to avoid getting infected

She's been charged with endangering a child

A teacher in the US has been arrested for allegedly locking her son in her car boot after he tested positive for Covid-19. Sarah Beam decided to put her 13-year-old son in the boot so that she didn't catch the virus as she drove to a testing site in Texas. Beam said her 13-year-old son had tested positive for Covid-19 and she was taking him to the Pridgeon Stadium location for another test to confirm the result, according to local media. A witness called police after hearing someone in the car boot at the site in Harris County. Beam then opened the boot to reveal her son inside. She reportedly said she had placed the teenager in the car boot because she did not want to be infected herself. A health worker then told her that there would be no coronavirus test until she allowed the boy to sit in the back seat of the car, ABC affiliate KTRK-TV reports. The child was not harmed. Related links:

• The people most likely to suffer long Covid, according to new data
• Anti-vax podcaster who caught Covid at conspiracy conference dies
• Novak Djokovic photographed maskless at event a day after supposed positive Covid test

The mother has been working as a teacher at Cypress Falls High School since 2011, but is now on administrative leave.