A 40-year-old man from Majorca has been arrested on assault charges after allegedly infecting more than 22 people with coronavirus.

The man refused to isolate himself at the requests of his colleagues and continued to work out at the gym while displaying COVID-19 symptoms.

An investigation by police into the man's behaviour began at the end of January.

"Days before the outbreak was revealed, the worker began to present symptoms compatible with the disease, so his colleagues began to worry as they observed that he was not well," a police statement said.

Police allege that the man was "coughing loudly all over the place" and lowering his mask at work.

"I'm going to give you all the coronavirus," the man allegedly said to his colleagues.

The man was tested for coronavirus but decided to go to his gym and workplace instead of isolating, resulting in the infection of eight people.

The people directly infected from the man, which were five at his workplace and three at the gym, then passed the disease onto their loved ones.

This includes three babies being infected with COVID-19.

"The worker was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of a crime of injuries and yesterday he was placed at the disposal of the Judicial Authority," the police said.

None of the people infected by the man have been admitted to hospital.