‘Completely unacceptable’: People caught coughing, spitting on frontline workers during pandemic to face ‘tough penalties’

POLICE Minister Nicole Manison has issued a stern warning that people caught deliberately coughing or spitting on Territory frontline workers will face tough penalties.

Police Minister Nicole Manison has issued a stern warning that people caught deliberately coughing or spitting on Territory frontline workers will face tough penalties. Picture: Che Chorley

POLICE Minister Nicole Manison has issued a stern warning that people caught deliberately coughing or spitting on Territory frontline workers will face tough penalties.

Minister Manison said anyone who deliberately targets frontline workers by spitting or coughing or sneezing on them was an “absolute disgrace”.

It comes after a 53-year-old man was arrested for spitting on officers in Palmerston after saying he had “that disease” on Saturday.

He was later found not to have coronavirus.

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“It is completely unacceptable to do that to people on the frontline who are working very hard to protect the lives of Territorians each and every day,” Ms Manison said.

“We do have tough penalties in place for people that do assault frontline workers.”

A spokeswoman from NT Police said deliberately spitting or coughing on police or emergency service workers was considered assault, which is punishable by up to five years in prison under section 189A of the Criminal Code Act.

In NSW, people caught coughing or spitting on frontline workers can cop a $5,000 on-the-spot fine.

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Deputy Commissioner Murray Smalpage said he would certainly push for similar fines to be introduced in the NT with the Police Commissioner and NT Government if there was an increase in the number of spitting or coughing incidents.

“At this point in time we haven’t seen a substantial number of those and currently the criminal law of the NT allows us take appropriate steps to prosecute those people who do such disgusting acts,” he said.

NT Police Association president Paul McCue said tougher penalties on those who coughed, spat or bit front line workers while claiming to have coronavirus should be implemented.

“This is nationwide issue where police have been spat on and bitten and assaulted by people who have threatened they have coronavirus,” Mr McCue said.

“We support a similar fine that’s been passed through the NSW public health regulations.

“We don’t support any leniency whatsoever when emergency service workers are putting themselves on the line to keep this virus out.”