TrendsWide
Contact US
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Health
  • Life Style
  • NBA
  • Reviews
No Result
View All Result
TrendsWide
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Health
  • Life Style
  • NBA
  • Reviews
No Result
View All Result
TrendsWide
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorized

Coronavirus: What powers do police have if people break Covid rules?

by souhaib
October 21, 2020
in Uncategorized
0
74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT


By Dominic Casciani
Home affairs correspondent

Related Topics

  • Coronavirus pandemic

Police officers

image copyrightGetty Images

The police’s role in the coronavirus pandemic is simple: to ensure we follow the new restrictions on our lives.

But in practice, that is a huge challenge for police who are being asked to monitor behaviour that, until March, was perfectly legal.

How do police enforce Covid rules?

Enforcing the restrictions puts huge pressure on police resources. Crime has returned to levels last seen before the March lockdown – which means the frontline is stretched once more.

Chief constables in England and Wales have received an extra £30m to pay for overtime costs.

But their rule remains to limit demands on officers through a model they call “The Four Es”.

Before fines are issued to rule-breakers, police will first take a number of steps:

  • Engage with people to ask why they appear to be breaking the rules
  • Explain the law, stressing the risks to public health and the NHS
  • Encourage them to change their behaviour
  • Enforce by issuing penalty notices, only as a last resort

Can you be fined for breaking Covid rules?

There are now three “tiers” of coronavirus restrictions in England. Police have a legal duty to make sure they are enforced, alongside local council environmental health and trading standards officers.

  • What are the rules in the different tiers?

  • Which tier am I in?

If you break the restrictions in your tier, you could get a fixed penalty notice (FPN), the Covid equivalent of a parking ticket. Since March, around 19,000 have been handed out.

These now start at £200, rising to £6,400.

The most obvious way you will get a FPN is for breaching the “Rule of Six”, by being in a larger gathering without good reason.

Large parties can be shut down by the police – with fines of up to £10,000.

image copyrightWest Midlands Police
image captionHundreds of people were caught on a drone camera at an illegal party by West Midlands Police

In a high-risk Tier Two or Tier Three area, you could be ticketed for being in a gathering of more than two people indoors, or for travelling to a larger gathering outside your area.

And if you are in one group of six while out – let’s say at a restaurant – you can’t get up and join a different group. In today’s strange world, that would amount to the crime of “mingling”.

What about the rest of the UK?

The rules differ across the UK – but all forces follow the general principle of the Four Es.

Police will be expected to continue enforcing new rules as they are introduced:

The rules are very complicated and the College of Policing has published advice for frontline officers.

image copyrightGetty Images

Can police make me cover my face?

Yes they can, and, again, you could face a fixed penalty notice.

In all parts of the UK you must now wear one in shops. You must also wear them when out in a pub, cafe or restaurant when not sitting at your table.

Staff and security guards have no formal powers to enforce the wearing of masks. However, they can stop you from entering or demand that you leave their property.

You must wear a face covering on public transport in all parts of the UK, although some people are exempt.

Could I end up in court?

The police could charge someone with a criminal breach of the Covid regulations.

This been reserved for a tiny minority of cases where police believe people are deliberately ignoring the rules after repeated incidents.

In extreme circumstances the police can arrest someone if they believe it is a necessary step to “maintain public health”.

image copyrightReuters

Can police check whether I’m isolating?

If you have returned from an overseas Covid hotspot, or have been told by the NHS Test and Trace system to stay at home, you must quarantine for 14 days.

The police can now check the NHS Test and Trace database to investigate a tip-off about a quarantine-breaker, or to follow up a concern raised by a local authority.

Under the agreement with government, they can find out the name and contact details for anyone who has been asked to isolate and the date when that order was given.

Police will also be able to see other information which may be relevant to why someone is not following the rules, such as whether they are vulnerable, or supported by carers.

Police won’t get to see your personal health records.

Related Topics



Source link

You might also like

Agile Time Management Project Management

Pfizer says it expects data on COVID-19 vaccines for children in ‘early part of 2021’

John Oliver on the new 'Last Week Tonight' season and if Trump was good for comedy

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • More
  • Pinterest
  • Telegram
  • Email
Tags: bbc
Share30Tweet19
Previous Post

Barcelona wonderkid Ansu Fati says unselfishness of team-mates ‘makes it easier to score’

Next Post

Ex-civil servant boss Mark Sedwill questions government’s Covid response

souhaib

Recommended For You

Agile Time Management Project Management

by souhaib
March 19, 2021
0

Time management Project management is very important.  If you are an owner of the company often the CEO without being the managing director, the one who must be...

Read more

Pfizer says it expects data on COVID-19 vaccines for children in ‘early part of 2021’

by souhaib
February 11, 2021
0

Both Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc say they expect to have data on how well their coronavirus vaccines work in teenagers later this year.Currently, immunizations against COVID-19 are...

Read more

John Oliver on the new 'Last Week Tonight' season and if Trump was good for comedy

by souhaib
February 11, 2021
0

John Oliver talked with USA TODAY TV Editor Gary Levin about the new season of "Last Week Tonight" and why he won't miss President Trump.        Source link

Read more

Dr Fauci declares April ‘open season’ for COVID-19 vaccinatoins

by souhaib
February 11, 2021
0

Dr Fauci declares April 'open season' for any American adult to get a COVID-19 vaccine and predicts the 'majority' of Americans will have two doses by fallDr Anthony...

Read more

Biden administration fears it could take nine months to reach herd immunity

by souhaib
February 11, 2021
0

The US may not reach herd immunity and return to some semblance of normalcy until Thanksgiving at the current pace of COVID-19 vaccinations and speed of variant spread,...

Read more
Next Post

Ex-civil servant boss Mark Sedwill questions government's Covid response

No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • NBA: The vice president of the Phoenix Suns announces that he is gay
  • Abortion enters fully into the electoral campaign of the United States legislative | Society
  • Protests against the Supreme Court increase after the controversial ruling on abortion | Video
  • California prepares to become a “sanctuary” state
  • Carolina Ramírez: Argentines consider themselves the best in everything, even the worst | Video

Browse by Category

  • Australia
  • Automotive
  • Business
  • Celebrity
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Deals
  • Economie
  • Education
  • Euro
  • Forex
  • Gaming
  • Health
  • Life Style
  • NBA
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Sports
  • Switzerland
  • Trending
  • U.S.
  • Uncategorized

Categories

  • Australia
  • Automotive
  • Business
  • Celebrity
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Deals
  • Economie
  • Education
  • Euro
  • Forex
  • Gaming
  • Health
  • Life Style
  • NBA
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Sports
  • Switzerland
  • Trending
  • U.S.
  • Uncategorized

Pages

  • Contact US
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

© 2021 - TrendsWide

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Contact US
  • Privacy Policy
  • Trending
  • U.S.
  • Economie
  • Deals
  • Reviews
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Health
  • Life Style
  • NBA

© 2021 - TrendsWide