Police create coronavirus squad to enforce rules

Victoria Police has established a COVID-19 enforcement squad of 500 officers to ensure containment measures to combat coronavirus are followed.

Co-ordinated through the Police Operations Centre, the officers will be out in the community doing spot checks on returning travellers who are in 14-day isolation, as well as enforcing the bans on indoor and outdoor gatherings.

This includes the decision of the National Cabinet to implement stage one of a shutdown of non-essential activity aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.

Businesses closed due to the stage-one shutdown include pubs, clubs, nightclubs, Crown Casino and licensed venues in hotels and pubs. It also includes gyms, indoor sporting venues, places of worship, cinemas and entertainment venues. Restaurants and cafes will only be allowed to provide home delivery or take-away services.

Mr Andrews said the decision and other containment measures were meaningless if Victorians failed take them seriously or believed they could flout the rules.

“Such thinking is wrong and the new coronavirus enforcement squad at Victoria Police will take action against anyone caught doing the wrong thing,” he said.

“The stage-one shutdown will have a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of many Victorians, but if we don’t do this, more Victorians will contract coronavirus and more Victorians will die.

“I also call on every Victorian to undertake their civic duty and practise social distancing: don’t be closer than 1.5 metres from another person, wash your hands and practise good hand hygiene.”