Australia to deploy 500 troops to Victoria state to enforce stay-at-home orders

NEWS 04.08.202008:40
N1

Australia’s Defense Department will deploy 500 more troops to enforce stay-at-home orders in the state of Victoria, according to State Premier Daniel Andrews.

“I can confirm there will be more than 500 additional ADF (Australian Defense Force) personnel come to Melbourne in the coming days, they will be accompanied by more than 300 additional authorized officers from the health department, they will continue to go out in teams to door knock,” Andrews said on Tuesday morning.

Andrews also announced new penalties for people found to be in breach of directions from the chief health officer, including a newly increased $3,540 on-the-spot fine for people who breach isolation orders, the largest instant penalty in Victoria.

Andrews added that people who conduct in “particularly selfish behaviour” may also be taken to court, where they can be fined up to $14,290.

Andrews said the new fines were being imposed because of the 3,000 door knocks on infected people — who are meant to be self-isolating — 800 patients were not home.

Victoria’s Minister for Police Lisa Neville also warned that Victorian Police will be out in force to find people who are in breach of coronavirus restrictions, saying officers “will not hesitate” to fine people or even detain them in certain cases.

Victoria recorded 439 new Covid-19 cases and 11 fatalities in the past 24 hours, Andrews said. That brings the total number of cases reported in the state to 12,335 and the total death toll to 147.