(Melbourne) Hundreds of people with COVID – 19 in Melbourne have violated the obligation to stay at home, have local authorities announced Tuesday who responded by tripling the amount of fines incurred.
Posted on August 4 2020 at 7am 00
France Media Agency
The State of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, is the epicenter of the second epidemic wave that is raging in Australia, and which has been blamed in particular on breaches of the rules in hotels where travelers returning from the foreigner were doing their quarantine.
For several weeks, Le Victoria has identified several hundred new cases of coronavirus each day.
Authorities in Melbourne have gradually tightened restrictions and containment lately, going so far as to impose a nighttime curfew, while all non-essential businesses will close as of Thursday.
But Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Tuesday that no less than 800 infected people, supposed to be staying at home, were not at their homes when the inspection services knocked on their door. These offenders represent 25% of the people that the administration has recently checked.
Mr. Andrews denounced fraud “completely unacceptable”, indicating that repeat offenders now face a fine of 5000 Australian dollars, against 1652 AUD previously.
The police can also decide to prosecute the most serious cases. However, the courts can impose fines of up to 20 00 0 AUD.
Half a thousand additional soldiers will be deployed to Melbourne to help health authorities control people who are supposed to stay at home, according to Andrews.
Hundreds of police are also deployed in the streets to ensure compliance with containment measures, the wearing of masks and the respect of the curfew, according to Victoria Police Chief Shane Patton.
He also reported on a small stream of residents calling themselves “sovereign citizens” who consider that the confinement instructions do not apply to them.
“We saw them at checkpoints provoking the police, refusing to give their name and address,” he denounced.
The Victoria totals approximately 08 00 0 of 12 000 0 cases of coronavirus listed since the start of the year across the country. It is also the state with the most victims, with 147 dead out of a national total of 232.