Coronavirus: Only 3pc breaching rules fined in Victoria

Victorian police have cited incorrect addresses and an exercise loophole as the ‘two most common reasons’ they have fined only 26 of 800 positive cases and close contacts who did not answer doors.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in Melbourne on Wednesday. Picture: Ian Currie

Victorian police have cited incorrect addresses and an exercise loophole unique to the state as the “two most common reasons” they have fined only 26 of 800 positive coronavirus cases and close contacts who did not answer doors when authorities came knocking.

The revelation comes after the August 4 announcement by Premier Daniel Andrews of­ a new $4957 fine as “the largest on-the-spot fine for an individual on the statute books”. He said it was “completely unacceptable” that in 800 of 3000 cases “the person who should have been isolating could not be found” when members of a team of 500 Australian Defence Force and 300 Department of Health and Human Services­ personnel conducted random doorknocks.

Police revealed on Wednesday they had issued 42 fines to people who had failed to isolate after testing positive to coronavirus or being a close contact, 16 of which had been issued since Mr And­rews announced the crackdown.

The first 26 fines issued prior to August 4 were $1652 fines; those issued later were the $4957 fines.

Police said their coronavirus compliance taskforce Operation Sentinel received details daily from DHHS regarding positive cases and close contacts, and used that information to conduct follow­-up spot checks involving geolocated phone calls and doorknocks. Checks had been conducted on 30,000 people since April

“The majority of people were found to be isolating as required when police performed spot checks,” police said. “The two most common reasons why people­ may have been classified as not being home originally was because incorrect or outdated address­ details were provided or they had left their home for a permitted reason under the Chief Health Officer’s directives.

“This includes seeking medical attention or exercising, which was permitted under the Chief Health Officer’s directives at the time many of these doorknocks took place. The main reason people left their home was to go to the shops or for a walk, with some people claiming they were unaware they had to self-isolate despite testing positive to coronavirus.’’

Mr Andrews removed the exercise­ exemption, which had allowed­ coronavirus-positive people to leave their homes to exercise­, on August 4 — a week after The Australian had asked Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton why it was necessary and whether it posed a risk to public health.

At the time, Professor Sutton cited Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities. There has been no such exemption in any other state or territory.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said there were a variety of innocent reasons people did not answer when doorknocked by authorities.

“Some of them were in a shower when (we) knocked on the door,” he said. “Some of them were in the shed in the back building something. So they‘re not all out necessarily of their home.”

However, he said there were some exceptions. “There are idiots­, there is poor behaviour, there are deliberate blatant breaches,” Mr Nugent said. “So that certainly occurs.”