Staggering amount of coronavirus fines issued in single state
Disobedient Queenslanders, including 18 hooligans, have been fined almost $400,000 for breaking coronavirus regulations.
As of Friday, 289 people had been fined a total of $385,526 in the state for disregarding strict coronavirus regulations which include the banning of non-essential travel.
Officers were called to an industrial area in Loganholme where they cordoned off a street about 11pm on Thursday. More than 10 vehicles were intercepted and 18 infringement notices of $1,334 were issued for failing to comply with a COVID-19 direction, police said.
The gathering at Loganholme followed 58 COVID-19 related fines handed out at a large car rally in Brisbane's south last weekend.
The fines were issued to both drivers and passengers, aged between 17 and 30, after about 150 cars and a large number of people gathered at a warehouse car park in Rochedale.
Despite the nearly $400,000 in fines handed out for people not following the rules, the strict non-essential travel and social distancing measures appear to be paying off with just 13 new cases announced in Queensland on Friday.
It brings the seven-day total to 93 new cases, down from a high of 380 two weeks ago.
“The trend continues to be much lower than that rate that we saw through late March,” state Health Minister Steven Miles said on Friday.
“It means that all of our efforts, all of the sacrifices we are all making are working and they're helping keep our communities safe.”
There are now 965 people suffering from COVID-19 in Queensland, with a current growth rate of 1.5 per cent per week.
Victorian police hand out 183 fines in 24 hours
Over the past 24 hours, Victoria Police have conducted 893 spot checks at homes, businesses and non-essential services across the state.
In 24 hours, police issued 183 fines, according to a statement at 11pm on Friday.
In Victoria, the on-the-spot fine for breaching stage three restrictions is a whopping $1,652, suggesting more than $300,000 in fines have been handed out in just a single day.
Police Media cited examples of the fines which were handed out in the past 24 hours including seven friends found drinking in a schoolyard, four women caught partying at a short-term rental property and five people intercepted in a rideshare vehicle.
Since March 21, Victoria Police have conducted a total of 19,279 spot checks.
‘Bored’ man cops fine from NSW cops
Since March 17, NSW Police have issued 28 Court Attendance Notices, and 245 Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) for breaches of the Public Health Act.
On Thursday night around 10pm detectives from Fairfield City Police Area Command observed a man in the middle of Railway Parade, Canley Vale.
The police were pursuing unrelated inquiries at the time, and when they happened upon the 23-year-old man he asked police for a lighter.
The man then said he was bored when asked why he was away from his home. Police allege the man became aggressive and abusive towards the officers, who got out of their vehicle and attempt to escort the man off the road.
Among those in NSW who have been issued PINs in recent days include a 55-year-old man who relocated to his holiday home at Pearl Beach on Thursday. The man has since returned to Sydney and police issued him a $1000 fine.
'It would kill lots of people': Expert dismisses radical plan to beat virus
'Stay away': People flock to beaches despite Easter weekend warning
Following reports of a brawl, police arrived at a unit in Campbelltown where they found eight people inside the home, seven of whom did not reside at the address.
“Following inquiries, police confirmed three men, aged 22, 20 and 19, had received cautions when police were called to the same unit on Thursday 2 April 2020 in response to a noise complaint,” NSW Police said.
For not complying with ministerial direction, the three men was issued $1000 fines, and the other four were handed warnings and directed to return home.
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.
