Woman, massage parlour first fined for breaking COVID-19 rules
The husband of the first woman fined by police in NSW for breaking COVID-19 quarantine rules after returning from Dubai said “we stuffed up” and that his wife is on the “verge of a heart attack” over the breach.
NSW
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The husband of a woman fined by police in NSW for breaking COVID-19 quarantine rules said “we stuffed up”.
Joanne McEnally, 65, was one of the first people to be fined $1000 under the new rules after police found she had left her home near Lake Macquarie on Thursday after returning home from Dubai on Saturday – a violation of the 14-day isolation rule for all returning travellers.
“We stuffed up, it’s our fault we’ll wear it … my wife is on the verge of having a heart attack I think, she’s got chest pains,” her husband Tony McEnally told 10 News.
“We unreservedly apologise for what we have done and will not step foot outside the gates of this house until the fourth of April.”
Mr McEnally said his wife only left their home to pick him up from an appointment then drove straight home.
NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller announced earlier on Friday the first individual and business – a CBD massage parlour – had been fined under new quarantine rules.
“This lady had a caution on Monday, a caution to self-isolate. Yesterday she was found walking around the streets,” Mr Fuller said.
“Yesterday police … came across a massage parlour – $5000 fine to the business owner and three employees received $1000 fines. Of course this brings me no joy.”
Mr Fuller said CrimeStoppers had received more than 600 calls in two days from people reporting others for violating the new measures.
He also said crime was down in most categories since the coronavirus crackdown had begun.
“The streets are safe, people are generally behaving themselves and I would ask that this continue,” Mr Fuller said.