'Mums' issued $1000 Covid fines 'for chatting' at Sydney beach
Several women have been slapped with a $1,000 Covid fine each after police found them sitting together at a park in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
One of the incidents was captured on TikTok by user Aley Hammer and posted on Wednesday.
"These mums have just been fined $1,000 each in Bronte and police are everywhere in Tamarama and Bondi," Ms Hammer can be heard saying during the footage of the women packing up their items as police stand by and watch.
"I guess they just want us to stay indoors right now, get this lockdown over with so stay safe everybody."
The video on TikTok, which has been viewed more than 228,000, was captioned: "Police are fining $1000 for chatting outdoors."
NSW Police told Yahoo News Australia that two groups of women were issued Covid Penalty Infringement Notices (PINS) in the same spot on Wednesday after breaching the public health order.
At around 10am, officers saw three woman – one aged 24 and two aged 22 – sitting together at Bronte Park with children present, police said.
"The women were spoken to and subsequently issued $1000 PINs for being in a group of more than two people, from different addresses, in breach of the PHO," NSW Police said.
Just 10 minutes later at the same location, police said they spoke to another group of three women – aged 39, 31 and 23 – who were also sitting together.
"The three women were also issued $1000 PINs for being in a group of more than two people, from different addresses," police said.
"Both groups of women were directed to move on, to which they complied."
41 people charged in past 24 hours
NSW Police announced on Friday morning 404 personal infringement notices were issued in the past 24 hours, and 41 people were charged with breaches of the public health order.
"It is simply unbelievable at this point in the current crisis that people are still flouting the rules," Deputy Commissioner Michael Willing said on Friday.
He also confirmed a 19-year-old man from Rose Bay in Sydney was charged with breaching the public health order by travelling to Byron Bay. He is believed to be the son of the 52-year-old man from Rose Bay who was charged earlier this week.
NSW reported 345 new local Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday. At least 91 were in the community while infectious, while 138 remain under investigation.
More than six million people in Greater Sydney and surrounds are in lockdown at least until August 28 as authorities battle to contain the virulent Delta strain outbreak.
Northwest NSW, Dubbo, Armidale, Tamworth, Byron Bay and the Hunter region are also enduring snap lockdowns.
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