Covid: Operation ‘stay at home’ mobilised

POLICE have been given more resources and tougher penalties in an effort to stop people in lock down areas leaving their homes.

Road blocks will be operating on major roads from lock down areas, with more than 1,400 highway patrol dedicated to ‘operation stay at home’ and an additional 500 Australian Defence Force will be assisting police.

Police can now issue on the spot fines for the following:

• $5,o00 – for breaching home quarantine;
• $5,000 – for lying on a permit – which is already a criminal offence;
• $5,000 – for lying to a contact tracer – also already an offence;
• $3,000 – for breaching the two person exercise rule, and
• $3,000 – for breaching rules by going into regional NSW.

People in lock down areas will only be able to travel a distance of 5 kilometres from their home, instead of 10 kilometres.

People who have a designated person as part of the “singles bubble” will have to formally register that person.

People travelling to another home or inspecting real estate will be limited to one person.

Police confirmed they closed a business this morning, for a period of 14 days, due to their non-compliance with health orders and warned they will continue to do the same with other businesses breaching the orders.