Driving home the message

Don’t go out — help us beat the bug

FROM Bridport to Boat Harbour and Bruny Island, police have promised to patrol holiday hot spots over Easter to ensure compliance with strict stay-at-home directives.

This week, Premier Peter Gutwein told Tasmanians this Easter would be like no other, and warned people not to travel to their shacks, visit other towns or go camping.

Authorities have repeatedly urged Tasmanians to stay in their primary place of residence as a measure to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Tasmania Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said motorists should avoid non-essential travel, and they could expect random spot checks on the roads. He said boat ramps would also be patrolled and random checks of holiday shacks conducted.

“If you’re away from your primary residence, don’t go to Bruny Island. At the ferry we’ll have police and they will turn you around, and you could face prosecution for disobeying the directions,’’ he said.

“We will have extra patrols in the coastal areas to ensure the communities are safe, and also to ensure others aren’t coming in to put those communities at further risk.

“This means, stay at home, heed the warnings and keep your community safe and we will get through this.

“If you don’t comply with the directions that are given, we can only educate for so long before we start prosecuting those for blatant breaches of the directions.”

Acting Deputy Commissioner Higgins said Tasmanians must remain in their primary residence unless they were accessing essential services such as food or medical supplies.

He said populations at holiday hot spots usually spiked at Easter time, but the message this year was clear — stay home.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Higgins said more than 5800 checks of people in quarantine had been conducted in recent weeks.

Fines of up to $16,800 or up to six months’ in prison can apply for those found guilty of failing to comply with a lawful direction of an emergency management worker.