Essex woman with covid left home 'at least twice'
Police have shared some of the 'clear and blatant breaches' of lockdown restrictions
Last updated 26th Jan 2021
A woman in Essex who tested positive for covid, but still left home at least twice, has been fined.
Police say she was one of the few who have broken lockdown rules this month, including a group who'd driven from Maldon to Chelmsford for a takeaway.
The force say they continue to take a common-sense approach to policing the Government guidelines, by first engaging with people, before explaining the situation and encouraging them to do the right thing.
However, when there are clear and blatant breaches the say they will pursue enforcement.
Essex Police said that in the last month, they have seen scenarios which required action to keep us and our loved ones safe from the unnecessary spread of coronavirus.
Among them was a Braintree woman who was issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice for failing to self-isolate despite testing positive for Covid-19.
The woman left her home at least twice after receiving a positive result despite the legal requirement to self-isolate for ten days.
Officers from the Chelmsford Town Centre Team also handed out fines to four people from different households who travelled together from Maldon to Chelmsford for a takeaway on the evening of Saturday 16 January.
They also seized a number of quadbikes after being called to reports of nuisance riding in woods near to Tiptree on the same day.
In Epping, officers stopped two people after they travelled from Grays to High Beech car park on Tuesday 12 January.
When questioned, the pair – one adult and one juvenile – told officers they made the 25-mile journey to the beauty spot to go for a jog.
One fixed penalty notice was issued to the adult.
On December 21 when the county was under Tier 4 restrictions, roads policing officers stopped four performance cars at the A414 at junction 7 of the M11.
It was then confirmed that the vehicles had travelled from the London and Hertfordshire areas, for a car cruise.
In total, eight people were dealt with for breaches of coronavirus legislation.
Each driver was also issued with Section 59 warnings for antisocial (inconsiderate) driving.
This means should the driver drive that same or any other vehicle in a similar manner again within 12 months of receiving the warning, the vehicle can be immediately seized by police.
Coronavirus facts
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.