Daniel Andrews doubles down on fine controversy

Premier Daniel Andrews has stood by the controversial decision not to fine residents who flouted virus restrictions to visit each other in lockdown, sparking the Casey cluster.

Premier Daniel Andrews has stood by the controversial decision not to fine residents who flouted virus restrictions to visit each other in lockdown, sparking the Casey cluster.

There are now 40 cases across five households associated with the outbreak – but no penalties have been handed out.

Mr Andrews said the call not to fine those individuals meant they were likely to be more honest and open about their movements, and that the information was more valuable than a fine.

“The truth is worth everything,” Mr Andrews said.

“If we don‘t get full and accurate information, then we won’t get on top of this outbreak.”

He said “it only takes a handful” of individuals to lie to authorities for a cluster to surge, which would be disastrous to the economy.

“I‘m not talking about thousands of dollars – I’m talking about billions of dollars. That is the cost of not being open,” he said.

Mr Andrews said he was “not expecting everyone to be happy with that”.

“The real riches are not in fining people for telling the truth to a contact tracer,” he said.

“It‘s getting the place open and if we don’t get accurate information, enforcement information you won’t trace those people, you simply won’t.”