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Compliance with the latest public health measures has been “very high,” with only two incidents of people suspected of violating travel restrictions that were recorded last week, Gardaí said.
Under level 5 of the Living with Covid roadmap, all non-essential retail stores are closed and people are asked to stay home but can exercise within 5 km of their home.
The Gardaí has conducted checkpoints, community engagement patrols, and visits to business premises to ensure the public adhere to the new regulations.
In a statement Friday night, Gardaí said there have been two incidents since October 22 in which people were suspected of violating travel restriction rules and files were sent to the director of the public prosecutor’s office (DPP).
The statement also highlighted that the volume of private cars on the roads has declined since last week, with overall traffic levels dropping nearly 50 percent compared to pre-Covid levels.
There was an incident where not wearing face masks resulted in a file being sent to the DPP last week, bringing the total to eight since it became a regulation over the summer.
The vast majority of the business premises complied with regulations or complied when requested, Gardaí said.
However, until October 29 there have been six incidents in which the premises have continued with suspicions of non-compliance with the regulations. A file will be sent to the DPP in each case.
Robberies
There are early indications that some crime categories, such as burglary, have decreased since the introduction of the Level 5 restrictions, while others, such as drug-related crimes, remain at similar levels. However, the drop in crime in general does not appear to be as significant as in the April-June period.
During the course of the Covid-19 operation, Gardaí registered 71 crimes not related to regulatory breaches, mainly related to road traffic and drug-related crimes.
Deputy Commissioner John Twomey thanked the public for complying with the restrictions.
“We continue to visit and interact with retail facilities to ensure regulatory compliance. We are seeing widespread compliance, but there are some premises that are potentially in breach of regulations and they should pay attention to the obligations they have, “he said.
“An Garda Síochána will focus this weekend on those retailers that still potentially do not comply.”
The deputy commissioner added that Gardaí continues to support vulnerable or isolated people.
“If you know of someone who, for example, needs to have their pension charged, a purchase made, or a check-up, contact their local Garda station. We are here to help, ”he said.
“We appreciate that this is a difficult time for people, but we must all continue to work together to reduce the spread of Covid-19 by following public health advice.”
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