Hundreds of people with Covid-19 in Melbourne have violated the obligation to stay at home, local authorities announced Tuesday, August 4, who responded by tripling the amount of fines incurred. The state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, is the epicenter of the second wave of epidemics in Australia, which has been attributed in particular to breaches of the rules in hotels where travelers returning from abroad made their quarantine.
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For several weeks, Victoria has identified several hundred new cases of coronavirus each day. Authorities in Melbourne have gradually tightened restrictions and containment in recent times, going so far as to impose a nighttime curfew, while all non-essential businesses will close as of Thursday.
But the Prime Minister of Victoria Daniel Andrews announced Tuesday that no less than 800 infected people, supposed to stay at home, were not at their homes when the inspection services knocked on their door. These offenders represent 25% of the people the administration has recently checked.
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Mr. Andrews denounced fraud " completely unacceptable ", indicating that repeat offenders now face a fine of 5,000 Australian dollars (3,030 euros), against 1,652 AUD previously. The police can also decide to prosecute the most serious cases. However, courts can impose fines of up to AUD 20,000.
Half a thousand more troops will be deployed to Melbourne to help health officials screen people who are supposed to stay at home, Andrews said. 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 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 said.
Victoria has a total of around 12,000 of the 19,000 cases of coronavirus identified since the start of the year across the country. It is also the state with the most victims, with 147 deaths out of a national total of 232.