It’s over to you, Chief Constable
PSNI to be hotspot enforcers, but it may be ‘impossible’ task
THE PSNI has been tasked with enforcing tough new Covid-19 regulations in “hotspot areas” after fresh restrictions were announced yesterday.
But SDLP health spokesman Colin Mcgrath has warned the crackdown may be “close to impossible to enforce and police”.
Health Minister Robin Swann ordered that from next week, most outdoor gatherings will be reduced from 30 to 15 people. Certain events can have more than 15 people attending as long as a risk assessment is carried out and measures put in place.
The current limit on people meeting in a private dwelling has been reduced to six people from no more than two households. Mr Swann said the measures were vital to stem the rise in coronavirus cases here.
CONCERNS have been raised that it will be “close to impossible” to enforce the toughened Covid-19 restrictions announced by Health Minister Robin Swann yesterday.
Mr Swann said he was responding to the rise in coronavirus cases in Northern Ireland.
From next week, most outdoor gatherings will be reduced from 30 to 15 people.
Certain events can have more than 15 people attending as long as a risk assessment is carried out by the organisers and safety measures are put in place.
These will include weddings, church services and sporting events, where a close adherence to social distancing and hygiene regime will apply.
The current limit on people meeting in a private dwelling has been reduced to six people from no more than two households, cut back from 10 individuals from up to four households.
The PSNI will also focus enforcement action in “hotspot areas” to curb the virus’s spread.
But SDLP health spokesman Colin Mcgrath, who sits on Stormont’s influential health committee, told the Belfast Telegraph the crackdown was “going to be close to impossible to enforce and police”.
“It’s a guideline. People are being asked to stick to it. Everyone is appealing to people’s better natures,” he said.
“Of course, police are not going to be able to be in and out of everybody’s houses.”
The south Down MLA warned that there were other ways the PSNI could be made aware of breaches of the guidelines.
“I was pleasantly surprised during lockdown at the volumes of people that were prepared to contact the police and the authorities whenever they saw breaches happening,” Mr Mcgrath added.
“So, people need to be careful. It may not be the police that see them breaching the rule. It may be their neighbours, or other people in the community, who may be happy to report that.
“That’s not to say that the police won’t arrive at your door.”
Speaking at yesterday’s Covid-19 press conference the Health Minister also confirmed no further relaxations would be made at this time.
It came as the current rate of infection number (the R number) was estimated to be around 1.3. Whenever the R number is above one, the epidemic is increasing.
The Department of Health said a further 51 people had tested positive for coronavirus here in the past 24 hours.
The seven-day rolling average for new cases has increased and is now at over 40 a day.
On the tightening of the lockdown measures, Mr Swann said the time had come to take action to slow the spread of Covid-19.
“These are not decisions I want to take but decisions I had to take,” he explained.
“Unless we take action now, I fear it would soon have been too late to arrest further extensive spread of the virus.”
Mr Swann confirmed his department had been dealing with a “significant and difficult” outbreak of the virus in a Co Antrim meat processing plant.
Thirty-five cases have been identified in staff at the Cranswick factory in Cullybackey,
Mr Swann also announced that while the PSNI had been using enforcement as a last resort, certain council areas that have been experiencing a rise in cases needed more attention.
“Sadly, through ignorance or self-centredness, a small minority of people are flouting the regulations and putting themselves and others at risk,” he said.
“The PSNI has assured me that it is taking and will continue to take enforcement action where necessary.”
Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael Mcbride said there needed to be “right-touch, not lighttouch” enforcement.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said police had worked closely with health officials and other agencies to ensure that policing operations fully supported the effort to save lives.
“Our approach has always been to engage, explain, encourage and enforce, with any emphasis on enforcement being fully considered with all our partners” he said.
“With the changing picture in relation to Covid-19, we will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and other partner agencies to inform the most effective policing approach to keep people safe, including enhanced resources in those areas identified as a priority.”
Mark Lindsay, chair of Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said: “It’s unfortunate that we’ve had to have the rules tightened again. I think it’s unfortunate for everyone who was responsible during the lockdown.
“Policing doesn’t want to be the strong arm of the law, but we will have to in some cases enforce these regulations. That will always be the last option.”
In the Republic, agriculture minister Dara Calleary last night apologised for attending an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner that breached the government’s public health guidelines.
Mr Calleary apologised “unreservedly” to the public and to his government colleagues after admitting he was one of a number of current and former TDS and senators who attended a dinner at hotel in Galway on Wednesday evening.