Police increase patrolling in Australia's COVID-19 hotspot

By Lidia Kelly

 

FILE PHOTO: A man runs along a waterway after lockdown restrictions were implemented in response to an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Melbourne, Australia, July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Sandra Sanders

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Police in Australia's coronavirus hotspot state of Victoria stepped up patrolling on Saturday as hundreds of people in the city of Melbourne breached stringent lockdown restrictions and flocked to beaches on the warmest weekend in months.

 

Under the restrictions, nearly five million people in Melbourne, Victoria's capital, may exercise or socialise outdoors for a maximum of two hours a day, but must stay close to home. People must wear masks in public places.

 

But television and social media footage showed crowds, many people without masks, at some of Melbourne's beaches as temperatures soared ahead of summer in the southern hemisphere.

 

"A number of fines were issued to people who breached directions .... and Victoria Police will be conducting increased patrols of popular public spaces this weekend," police said in a statement.

 

Fines for not wearing masks reach A$200 ($143) and for breaching public health orders are more than A$1,600.

 

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the behaviour of the beach-goers was "unacceptable".

 

"Spending time at the beach without a mask, without social distancing now, will just mean that you won't get to go to the beach for all of summer," Andrews said at a televised briefing.

 

State officials said eight people had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and three more people died. The numbers have been going steadily down after reaching more than 700 in new daily cases at their peak in July.

 

Melbourne has been under a strict lockdown for months, with the measures set to remain in place until the average number of new daily cases over a two-week window falls below five. On Saturday it was 12.

 

Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state accounts for 90% of national COVID-19 deaths. Australia, with 893 fatalities, has fared far better than many other developed countries.

 

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-02

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Police in Australia's coronavirus hotspot state of Victoria stepped up patrolling on Saturday as hundreds of people in the city of Melbourne breached stringent lockdown restrictions and flocked to beaches on the warmest weekend in months.

Wow.  Reminiscent of East Germany during the Soviet era.  Residents are not allowed to leave the country/state and internal movement/travel closely monitored and restricted.  "Statsi" Covid police patrol the streets seeking Covid-dissidents to arrest and lock-up.  Statsi Covid police monitor communication channels looking for dissidents planning illegal dissident activities like going outside or meeting for the likes of prayer. Individual and human rights shredded.  The difference between the Soviet Union and Australia?  One was following the doctrine of communism and the other the doctrine of covidism.  And yet Freedom House will not doubt list Australia as a bastion of "freedom" in their 2021 report rendering their analysis meaningless in this brave, new world.

I like the Indonesian idea that violators of public health laws be made to dig the graves of the victims, after a day of that these covidiots worldwide would sing a different song. Kudos to the cops, must be an awful task but they seems to be doing a better job than the Brits for sure..

Edited October 3, 20205 yr by from the home of CC

This is one for the Yinnmeister. If you lived here you would  realise we are just so close to getting back to some sort of normal. It's planned to relax most restrictions on the 19th. Down to 7 cases a day from 750 a month ago. The weather's lovely and people want to go out but just 2 more weeks or so and businesses can open up and people can do their thing. Crowds of people together ain't smart. 

18 minutes ago, connda said:

Wow.  Reminiscent of East Germany during the Soviet era.  Residents are not allowed to leave the country/state and internal movement/travel closely monitored and restricted.  "Statsi" Covid police patrol the streets seeking Covid-dissidents to arrest and lock-up.  Statsi Covid police monitor communication channels looking for dissidents planning illegal dissident activities like going outside or meeting for the likes of prayer. Individual and human rights shredded.  The difference between the Soviet Union and Australia?  One was following the doctrine of communism and the other the doctrine of covidism.  And yet Freedom House will not doubt list Australia as a bastion of "freedom" in their 2021 report rendering their analysis meaningless in this brave, new world.

The restrictions were put in place after a complete breakdown in security at hotels used for Covid quarantine. Before the breakdown, Australia only had around 100 deaths from Covid. Within a very short time of identifying the security collapse approx 750 a day Melbournians were being tested positive, with a rapid increase in national deaths from 100 to now 890 deaths. The security issues were resolved with deaths and new infections being minimal, restrictions are now being lifted. Australia is seeking to stop a third wave of Covid which is very likely should people ignore mitigation. We do not wish to emulate the criminal ignorance of the trump administration.

10 minutes ago, simple1 said:

(Multi-quotes, kept in situ)

The restrictions were put in place after a complete breakdown in security at hotels used for Covid quarantine

[cause by Dunno insisting on private security, in the Hotel owned by family].

Before the breakdown, Australia only had around 100 deaths from Covid. Within a very short time of identifying the security collapse approx 750 a day Melbournians were being tested positive, with a rapid increase in national deaths from 100 to now 890 deaths

[again attributed to Dunno].

 The security issues were resolved with deaths and new infections being minimal

[because people went home after their 48hrs flu],

restrictions are now being lifted

[people now allowed to take dog to the groomers].

Australia is seeking to stop a third wave of Covid which is very likely should people ignore mitigation. We do not wish to emulate the criminal ignorance of the trump administration

[because we are to busy suffering Dunnos].

 

It's all for your own good !

 

 

2 hours ago, connda said:

Wow.  Reminiscent of East Germany during the Soviet era.  Residents are not allowed to leave the country/state and internal movement/travel closely monitored and restricted.  "Statsi" Covid police patrol the streets seeking Covid-dissidents to arrest and lock-up.  Statsi Covid police monitor communication channels looking for dissidents planning illegal dissident activities like going outside or meeting for the likes of prayer. Individual and human rights shredded.  The difference between the Soviet Union and Australia?  One was following the doctrine of communism and the other the doctrine of covidism.  And yet Freedom House will not doubt list Australia as a bastion of "freedom" in their 2021 report rendering their analysis meaningless in this brave, new world.

Straight out of the Fascism Handbook.

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

FILE PHOTO: A man runs along a waterway...

I'm sure Melburnians will appreciate the Yarra being called "a waterway".  Shows the complete lack of any local knowledge in these mass produced news stories.  What next?  "A man walks beside a small inlet..." in a story with a picture of Sydney Harbour?

if folks weren't so ignorant of the truth and protected their health and others as requested instead of partying and gathering as though nothing has happened, then they wouldn't be under such tight restrictions. 

3 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

This is one for the Yinnmeister. If you lived here you would  realise we are just so close to getting back to some sort of normal. It's planned to relax most restrictions on the 19th. Down to 7 cases a day from 750 a month ago. The weather's lovely and people want to go out but just 2 more weeks or so and businesses can open up and people can do their thing. Crowds of people together ain't smart. 

Yes numbers down. Relax of stage 4 very soon. My 2 sons work retail. Lockdown 12 week. Can you advise when they go back to perhaps non existent jobs. Please be specific. Is it next week all stores open?

Just take a stab. "People can do their own thing". Is that a joke!

Post from unapproved sources espousing false information has been removed.  

 

A picture with no citation has been removed.   This is a discussion forum.  

15 hours ago, ballpoint said:

I'm sure Melburnians will appreciate the Yarra being called "a waterway".  Shows the complete lack of any local knowledge in these mass produced news stories.  What next?  "A man walks beside a small inlet..." in a story with a picture of Sydney Harbour?

oh well gotta give a bit of slack to foreign newsagencies such as Reuters... besides they probably had to double translate over several languages to come up with something that tries to ultimately transliterate the stock photo... (their auto-translator could not handle the library of literally 100s of Aboriginal dialects)