Sydney : New South Wales police issued 35,000 Australian dollars (25,000 dollars) in fines to people who attended a Sunday night church service in the heart of Sydney’s Covid-19 outbreak hotspots in violation of health orders.
Thirty churchgoers were fined 1,000 dollars each after attending an evening sermon in Blacktown, in Greater Western Sydney. The church was fined a further 5,000 dollars, dpa reports.
Police said on Monday that, after being tipped off about a possible congregation in breach of health orders, officers located a group of about 60 adults and children attending a sermon inside a building.
Those in attendance were from various other areas in Greater Sydney including Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Liverpool, all considered “areas of concern” and under tighter restrictions than the rest of the state.
A night-time curfew came into effect in those areas on Monday as New South Wales recorded its third consecutive day of Covid-19 case numbers in excess of 800.
Greater Sydney has been in lockdown for over eight weeks and the measures will remain in place at least until the end of September, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced last week.
The public is under stay-at-home orders except for essential outings such as work, medical appointments, care and compassionate grounds, shopping for essential goods and outdoor exercise.
NSW has reported 74 Covid-19-related deaths since 16 June, when the first infection in this outbreak was reported. The caseload of the current outbreak has grown to 13,022 cases.
