Richmond Police District Inspector Mary Tanner warns those who ignore public health orders will be fined

A senior Northern Rivers police officer had said people who blatantly disregard public health orders, such as not wearing a mask without an exemption, should expect to be fined.

NOT PUTTING STAFF AT RISK: An Aldi spokesman said they were not asking staff to police the wearing of masks by customers in their stores, insisting it is up to people to do the right thing. Picture: Keryn Stevens

A senior police officer has slammed Northern Rivers shoppers who refuse to comply with public health orders and warned that fines will be issued when appropriate.

Richmond Police District Inspector Mary Tanner said “the time for warnings is over”.

“If people blatantly disregard wearing a mask under the current public health orders, then unless they have with them the legal requirements which is either a copy of their medical exemption certificate from a medical practitioner or a stat declaration, they will be fined,” she said.

“It’s been in place for some time now, everyone knows they should be complying, the time for warnings is over.”

Insp Tanner said the community should be well aware by now of the public health order requirements such as wearing a mark and registering with QR codes when entering and leaving a retail premises.

“Every day we are getting numerous calls from the public in relation to alleged breaches of the public health orders such as not wearing a mark ore using QR codes in shopping centres,” she said.

“We are also receiving calls about illegal gatherings in public places.”

Ms Tanner said police encouraged retail managers to directly report any public health order breaches.

She said while it was the responsibility of the shop owners to ensure people entering their shop used the QR codes, it was not up to staff to enforce the wearing of masks.

“The onus is on the shop owner regarding the QR code to ensure people who come into the shop,” she said.

“But it is the responsibility that people come into the shop will be responsible and wear a mask.”

This comes after eight people each received a $500 fine for shopping unmasked and without a good reason at Mullumbimby on Sunday, August 1.

And while some retailers are on the ball with allocated staff at the entrance to ensure everyone signed in, wore a mask and used hand sanitisers, a few shops have been reluctant to get on board.

An Aldi spokesman said they were relying on people doing the right thing, and did not ask their staff to police public safety in their stores.

“We will not ask our employees to risk their safety by enforcing the public health orders for those that refuse to comply,” he said.

“It is our genuine hope that all customers do the right thing.”

“We remind every customer that visits our stores of their responsibility and obligation to check in. It is up to all of us to support the diligent work of contact tracers.”

The spokesman reminded Aldi customers to be prepared to check in when they entered and left a store.

“As outlined in the public health orders we have check-in QR codes located at multiple points within our stores,” he said.

“These include at the entrance, at check-outs and at the packing bench. This approach has been agreed in consultation with NSW Health and Services NSW.

“ALDI’s unique one-way-in, one-way-out store layout allows our employees to remind customers to check-in at the register. For those customers that have not checked in at the entrance, we ensure they do so before they exit.”

Have you reported anyone for noncompliance of wearing a mark or other Covid-19 issue? Contact us at [e-mail]