Cop who failed to self isolate is hit by £480 f ine
A YOUNG police officer has been issued with a £480 fixed penalty notice by colleagues for failing to self-isolate after returning from a break to Dubai.
Constable Robert Isaacs, who is based at Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, visited the popular Middle East holiday destination last month.
At the time Dubai, which has daily flights from Glasgow, had been named as a non-exempt destination and was on a Scottish Government quarantine list.
That meant people returning to Scotland from the United Arab Emirates city were required to self-isolate for 14 days.
The 28-year-old PC is said to have reported for work at Kirkintilloch police office as soon as he got back from holiday earlier this month – instead of remaining at home. It is then understood Constable Isaacs was asked to leave the station after colleagues realised he had been in a nonexempt destination.
He was later issued with a fixed penalty notice – which carries an automatic penalty fine of £480 – for arriving at work when he should have been self-isolating. Failure to pay after 28 days could result in court proceedings. No further disciplinary action will be taken against him.
It is not known why the officer, who has around seven years’ service, decided to come into work, but all police officers had previously been warned that if they were required to quarantine because of an overseas holiday, the two weeks of self-isolation would be deducted from their holiday entitlement.
It is understood that colleagues at the Kirkintilloch station believed that he was on holiday in Blackpool.
However, while in Dubai on August 31 the officer posted on Facebook that he was visiting the La Mer shopping centre in the
Jumeirah area of the city. Chief Superintendent Mark Sutherland, divisional commander for Greater Glasgow, confirmed that a 28year-old man had been issued with a fixed penalty notice for breaching quarantine regulations.
He said: ‘For those who choose to breach the regulations and risk the health of others, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action where appropriate.’
In June, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf announced the blanket £480 fine for people who fail to quarantine for 14 days.
All arrivals from non-exempt countries are required to complete locator forms detailing where they will be isolating, and give their contact details.
People believed to be repeatedly breaching quarantine can be reported to the procurator fiscal for criminal prosecution, facing further penalties of up to £5,000.
The fines for breaching the 14day quarantine rule are higher in England, where offenders receive an automatic £1,000 penalty.
Last month Police Scotland disclosed that more than 200 Scots have been investigated for breaching the 14-day isolation rule.
By law people are required to self-isolate at the address they provide at the airport on their passenger locator form.
They are obliged to have food and other necessities delivered and to stay away from others.
They are not allowed visitors, including friends and family, unless they are providing essential care.
‘We’ll act against those who risk others’ health’