Nearly 1,000 coronavirus fines handed out in Thames Valley
The force say they will always engage before enforcement
Almost 1,000 fines have been handed out by police for breaches of Covid-19 laws in Thames Valley since they came into force, figures show.
Home Secretary Priti Patel defended the policing of lockdown breaches across the country, warning that officers “will not hesitate” to take action to safeguard the national recovery effort.
Data published by the National Police Chiefs Council shows a total of 965 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were issued by Thames Valley Police between March 27 and December 20.
Of these, 771 were issued for breaches of coronavirus laws brought in during the first few months of the pandemic, 56 were linked to the tiered alert system introduced in October, and 97 to the national lockdown which began in November.
Police forces across England and Wales have issued 32,329 FPNs since March, though the NPCC said there had been a downward trend in recent weeks.
The peak occurred during the Easter bank holiday in April, with 3,288 handed out that week.
By contrast, the most recently weekly figures showed 542 tickets were handed out in the week to December 17, compared to 821 in the previous seven days.
Although the NPCC figures do not cover the Christmas and New Year period, Home Secretary Priti Patel said last week that more than 800 fines had been handed out over the previous 14 days.
She also defended the way police have handed out fines for lockdown breaches so far, warning that officers “will not hesitate” to take action.
Ms Patel said:
“The vast majority of the public have supported this huge national effort and followed the rules.
“But the tragic number of new cases and deaths this week shows there is still a need for strong enforcement where people are clearly breaking these rules to ensure we safeguard our country’s recovery from this deadly virus.”
Fined for not wearing a mask
Of the fines in Thames Valley, there were two for failing to wear a face covering when required, and 12 for breaching international travel rules.
There were also five for breaking business regulations and five for gatherings held of more than 30 people.
NPCC chairman Martin Hewitt said enforcement shouldn’t always equal police involvement or a fine being handed out.
But he added:
“It is right for officers to be inquisitive about why individuals may be away from home.
“Those who blatantly ignore the regulations should expect to receive a fixed penalty notice, and we’ll target our resources towards those who commit the most serious breaches and put others at risk through their behaviour.”
Preliminary crime figures also published by the NPCC on Friday showed that total crime in England and Wales was down 12% in November last year.
Mr Hewitt said crime remains lower than at the same point in 2019, but that the demand on the police service is significant.
What do Thames Valley Police say?
Chief Superintendent Robert France, Gold Commander for Thames Valley Police said:
“Firstly I would like to thank you all for your support throughout the pandemic and your continued support of us and other emergency services by following the government legislation and guidance and staying at home to stop the spread, save the NHS, save lives and protect everyone in our communities.
“We all have a duty to stay at home unless there is a valid reason not to be there. The full details of what you can and can’t do during lockdown are contained on the government pages.
“Our officers will continue to engage, explain and encourage people to abide by the restrictions. Where people have genuinely misunderstood the rules, or where there is an element of complexity, a simple reminder of the regulations is often enough for them to comply.
“However, where we encounter people who are wilfully and blatantly ignoring the laws around Coronavirus we will look to enforce.
“We have now all been dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic for some time, as such many people should be familiar with what is required of them, so where we see people are making a choice and deliberately ignoring the rules they should expect to receive a fine.
“Restrictions on social gatherings and certain businesses remain in place. Gatherings which breach the rules and unlicensed events should not be happening.
“We strongly urge anyone thinking of attending or organising one not to do so. Organisers of such events could be given a substantial £10,000 fine and those attending will face enforcement through a fine.
“We have resources in place to respond appropriately and these will be targeted where the risk to the wider public is greatest.
“We will continue to work with our partners, businesses and the public to protect our communities from Coronavirus.”
What is Covid-19?
Covid-19 emerged as a virus in December 2019 as the first cases are reported in Wuhan, China. Scientifically known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus created a global pandemic as it began to spread around the world. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe, causing death in some cases. Some people are completely asymptomatic and do not realise they even have the virus.
Has there been a virus like this before?
The SARS pandemic in 2003 was similar to Covid-19 in that it was also caused by a coronavirus. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The global outbreak of SARS lasted from 2002-2003, infecting over 8,000 people and killing 774. Covid-19 and SARS are both respiratory illnesses, but SARS was much more deadly and less infectious.
What are the main symptoms?
The NHS say the main Covid-19 symptoms are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough and loss or change to taste of sense or smell. NHS advises people with Covid-19 to take plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take paracetamol for a high temperature.
What was the Government reaction?
The UK Government announced the first of several lockdowns in March 2020. By the end of the month, more than 100 countries around the world introduce full or partial lockdowns, preventing people from going to work, restricting everyday tasks and affecting the livelihoods of billions of people globally.
Which countries have been worst hit?
During the first year of the pandemic, the US recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and the most deaths, reporting an unprecedented 100,000 new cases in one day on November 4th 2020. Thousands of new cases were recorded on the same date in India (46,000+), the United Kingdom (22,000+), Brazil (17,000+) and Mexico (5,000+), while Ireland records less than 1,000 (578). Hundreds of other countries also reported a high rate of infection.
How have vaccines fought against Covid-19?
Vaccines began being approved for use across the globe. By January 2021, the UK approved the use of three different vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are rolled out to the public, with older people and those with greater health concerns getting priority. In April 2022, just under 53 million people had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
What are new Covid variants?
Four new variants of Covid-19 were discovered around the world. Beta was found in South Africa, Gamma in Brazil and Delta in India, while the Alpha variant was first located in Kent, UK. New variants are not likely to make someone more seriously ill than Covid-19 would, but variants like Delta have a higher infection rate, meaning it can be more easily spread.
The Omicron variant was first detected late 2021 in South Africa. Since then, it has become one of the most dominant variants in the world, with its own sub strains - BA.4 and BA.5.