Sussex Police urge public to stick to new Covid-19 rules
Those who don't self-isolate when told to could face big fines
Sussex Police is reminding the county's residents that they all have their part to play in suppressing Covid-19, ahead of the introduction of new safety guidelines.
From Monday, those in England will be legally required to self-isolate if they are displaying symptoms of the virus, or if they have been contacted by the test and trace system.
Failure to do so could lead to fines of between £1,000 and £10,000.
In a statement, the force said it would 'continue to support the national effort' and work with partners and local communities to prevent the spread of infection in Sussex.
The changes add to those from last week, which require the wearing of face masks in more public places, a 10pm curfew for bars, pubs and restaurants, and further guidance to the ‘rule of six’.
Police officers and PCSOs will continue to be out and about in communities to engage with members of the public, explain the new government regulations and encourage people to follow them.
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Jayne Dando, who leads local policing for Sussex Police, said:
“First and foremost, as has been the case throughout this pandemic, we know the vast majority of people will stick to the law and follow the government guidance. This is a national health crisis and we all have our part to play.
“Our officers and staff have been patrolling across the county and, on the whole, have been impressed with the public’s compliance to the government regulations. Where officers have needed to engage with members of the public and explain the current legislation generally, people have acted positively and changed their behaviour accordingly.
“However, those who continue to choose to flout the rules and put other people’s lives at risk will face enforcement action.
"Over the last month, we have issued three FPNs for those who were non-compliant with wearing a face mask when on public transport and two people were issued a fine for failing to comply with self-isolation regulations.
“We all need to work together to prevent the spread of the virus and that includes our officers and staff too. We have a number of procedures in place to ensure our employees can continue to respond to crime in the normal way, assessed against the greatest risk of harm, and support those in the communities who really need us.
“The demands on the police service are now back to pre-Covid levels. Our priorities lie with public safety and so it is even more important that people take personal responsibility for their actions and do their bit to prevent the spread of the virus, so the force can operate effectively for those who need us.
“If people are aware of a serious and current breach of the government’s coronavirus regulations, we would ask them to report it to us via an online form, 999 should only be used in an emergency.”