‘Blatant disregard’ of Covid rules won’t be tolerated

Enjoy your greater freedoms but don’t flout the rules, says region’s highest ranking police officer

QAS Acting Manager of Operations Shane Tucker, QPS Superintendent Glenn Morris and QFES Acting Inspector Patrick McGuire. Picture: Tony Martin

BLATANT disregard of relaxed Covid-19 restrictions will not be tolerated as police prepare to increase patrols across the region this weekend.

Changes to the Queensland Health Officer’s directions, which will give residents some greater freedoms, come into effect from midnight Friday.

Mackay district Superintendent Glenn Morris said extra police patrols and enforcement activities would be undertaken to ensure community compliance with the rules.

It comes as police fined 65 people across the district since restrictions started, with house parties responsible for more than half of enforcement action to date.

“What the community will see is police continuing to work with members of the public to gain an understanding of what those directions mean,” Supt Morris said.

“So if we do see reckless and blatant disregard of the Chief Health Officer’s directions, people are liable for enforcement action.

“We are going to see an anticipated increase in traffic on our roads as a result of the relaxation of the directions.

“We are also seeing an increase in speeding, particularly on our highways, so there will be an increasing police presence, and continued high visibility traffic and enforcement.”

Supt Morris reminded motorists to follow the Fatal Five, to wear seatbelts, not drive drunk, drugged or fatigued, not use a mobile phone and not speed.

Under the relaxed rules, residents will be able to go for a drive within a 50km radius of their home, ride their motorbike or jetski, have a picnic, or visit a national park that will be reopened.

Shopping for non-essential items will also be permitted, Supt Morris said.

He said it did not change current rules around essential services or reasons for travel.

“Generally compliance has been very good and we would like to thank the community for listening to messaging and doing what they have been doing,” he said.

“Across the Mackay district … to date there have been 65 infringement notices issued.

“Over 50 per cent of those infringements have resulted in people having parties in their residences, and a number of people have been given infringement notices from one location.”

Covid-19 restrictions have coincided with a reduction in property crime across the district, and domestic violence figures remained steady.