Advertisement

Coronavirus Victoria: People 'hiding in cupboards' and other bizarre breaches of lockdown rules

Police have revealed the bizarre ways people are breaking Victoria’s stage three lockdown, resulting in massive fines.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said police have checked thousands of homes, businesses and public places since the state returned to stage three lockdown last week and fined 351 people for breaking rules.

Melbourne Metro and the Mitchell Shire are in their second week of a six-week lockdown and people are only allowed to leave the house for four reasons – to buy essentials, provide care, attend school or work or receive medical care.

Melburnians exercise along Elwood Beach on July 13.
Melburnians are allowed to leave the house for exercise. Source: Getty

"The reasons for leaving your premises are well known, I can say that they don't include playing Pokémon," Mr Nugent said, noting a group was fined for playing the popular game in their car last week.

Others were fined for hosting social gatherings, a poker night and for eating KFC in the fast-food restaurant.

"Clearly KFC is popular during the lockdown," he told reporters on Wednesday.

He also claimed police had found people hiding in cupboards and garages.

Police were also called to a party at a short-term rental property twice, resulting in 10 infringements issued during the first visit and 24 issued the second time.

“Any blatant deliberate breach of the restrictions will result in an infringement,” Mr Nugent said.

“Please, stop. Do all you can to support what the rest of the community is doing to address this health emergency,” Mr Nugent said.

Police patrol the grounds of a public housing estate which is undergoing a forced lockdown in Melbourne.
Police have issued hundreds of fines to people breaching lockdown laws. Source: Getty

Premier threatens added coronavirus restrictions

Premier Daniel Andrews reiterated the government would not cut any slack for those who broke the rules.

"We will have to move to additional restrictions being put in place and we will have to prolong the period that the restrictions were put in place," Mr Andrews said.

Victoria Police said in a statement on July 14 police issued fines after finding a group gathering in a street in Bentleigh in Melbourne’s southeast.

“Police located 10 people in the driveway and on the footpath with stools set up around a gas heater consuming alcohol,” police said.

“They told police they thought that if they maintained 1.5-metre distance, they were able to gather in the street.”

On the same night, police attended a home in Box Hill in Melbourne’s east where five people claimed they were celebrating a friend’s graduation.

Victoria reports 238 new coronavirus cases

Victoria’s daily coronavirus total has once again surpassed 200 infections on Wednesday as Melbourne continues to grapple with an outbreak of widespread community transmission.

The state recorded a further 238 cases in the previous 24 hours, Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed.

It is the fifth time in the last six days the state has recorded more than 200 daily cases. In comparison, NSW has only surpassed the daunting figure twice since the pandemic began.

A woman in her 90s has died from the virus in the past 24 hours, Mr Andrews confirmed, taking the state’s death toll to 27.

Twenty-seven people in the state are in intensive care and altogether 105 are in hospital.

Of the new cases, 29 are related to current outbreaks while 209 are still under investigation.

With AAP

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.