ACT Policing arrested two men, aged 40 and 42, at the Barton Highway border crossing today who had travelled from Victoria through NSW without an exemption.
Since the ACT’s COVID-19 lockdown came into effect on Thursday 12 August, police have issued 12 infringement notices and 36 cautions for public health direction breaches and have directed 101 people to leave the ACT.
During the current lockdown, police have conducted 6,212 compliance traffic stops, including at border checkpoints and random locations across the ACT.
They have also conducted 2,280 compliance checks at Canberra residences and businesses, in addition to more than 3,000 conducted in the ACT since interstate restrictions prior to the local lockdown.
Despite these breaches, ACT Policing COVID-19 Taskforce Superintendent Naomi Binstead thanked the community for their continued high level of compliance with the public health directions.
“Most people are doing the right thing, and I think it’s important to acknowledge our incredible community effort during this lockdown,” Superintendent Binstead said.
“We will continue to conduct compliance checks at homes and businesses. On the roads, we will work with our colleagues from NSW Police to ensure people entering the ACT have the appropriate exemptions or permissions to do so.
“Officers are still detecting people in Canberra who should not be here, which is of concern. Anyone who has not followed instructions of both ACT and NSW Health authorities will be ordered to leave the ACT or sent home and may be prosecuted.”
Police are continuing to conduct compliance operations to support the public health directions.
ACT Policing Superintendent of Communications Rebecca Goddard said police appreciated the information being supplied by the community.
“We are hearing from plenty of people who want the make sure the community is adhering to all the public health directions appropriately,” Superintendent Goddard said.
“So far during the lockdown, we have responded to more than 400 compliance complaints from the public. We do continue to receive some calls to emergency and 131 444 for health related questions that police can’t answer.
“I do also ask people to consider whether it may be better reporting a compliance concern online to Access Canberra instead of by phone to police or the ACT Government COVID-19 hotline.”
The most up-to-date COVID-19 information for the ACT can be found at the ACT COVID-19 website.
See footage of the arrest here.
