Victorian police have listed what they describe as blatant breaches of lockdown rules, including sex workers continuing to work, people who mass-ordered KFC and whale watchers off the Victorian coast.
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Chief Commissioner for the Victoria Police Shane Patton said 16 people had been fined at a Dandenong party.
Every police vehicle is involved in COVID-19 enforcement, that is happening right across the state and it will continue, that is a fact
- Victorian police commissioner Shane Patton
They had been found out after ambulance officers at a KFC at Dandenong saw two people ordering 20 meals at 1.30am. The ambulance officers reported the pair and police tracked them to a Dandenong townhouse.
Two people had been found asleep and 16 others found "hiding out the back" Mr Patton said.
"That is ridiculous, that type of behaviour. It is an expensive night when you think apart from the KFC, we have issued 16 infringements ... That is $26,000 that birthday party is costing them.
"That is a heck of a birthday party to recall. They will remember that one for a long time."
In Glen Waverley, "a large amount of men" had been reported frequenting an address. Four sex workers had been found inside and fined.
At 1.30am on Friday, a couple had been turned around at a checkpoint, then caught a short time later trying a different route to get to Phillip Island, a popular holiday spot for Melburnians.
"This type of blatant obvious deliberate disregard for the chief health officer's guidelines we will be enforcing," he said.
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Crowds of people have been photographed whale watching on the Mornington pier, in a picture posted on social media on July 9. Mr Patton said the gathering was "totally unacceptable, a total breach of the distancing rules", and it was "arguable whether it is even an exercise".
"That conduct won't be permitted. If the public don't comply, we will continue to ramp up," he said.
Mr Patton said 30 members of the Defence Force were helping enforce the lockdown in Melbourne, with 13 more arriving on Saturday. Police had set up seven checkpoints around the city and were adding two more. More than 5500 cars had been stopped and 12 tickets had been issued at road checkpoints. Another 60 people had been fined for other breaches in the 24 hours to lunchtime on Friday.
"Over the city last night where there were parties we were called to. People who were drunk and out and about," he said.
"I expect to see those infringements numbers rise from those parties and things like that. It is finished."
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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