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People who break coronavirus rules are “increasingly likely” to face fines as cases and deaths continue to rise, Britain’s highest-ranking police officer warned.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said it was “absurd that anyone could ignore our duty to do everything possible to stop the spread of the virus.”
Writing in The Times, he said: “We have made it clear that those who violate Covid-19 legislation are increasingly likely to face fines.”
The government refused to speculate on any tightening of lockdown restrictions on Monday, but warned that the NHS is under “very significant pressure” as it tries to keep up with rising hospital admissions.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock He was forced to clarify that buying a hot drink and going for a walk with a friend is within the rules, but urged people to cut off any social contact that is “not absolutely necessary” to control cases.
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock pleads with the public to follow the rules
The latest figures show that there were 32,070 coronavirus patients hospitalized in England as of 8am on Monday, an 81% increase from Christmas Day.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England National Medical Director, noted that this means there are 13,000 more patients in hospital beds with COVID-19 of which there were a little more than fifteen days ago.
He warned that while 2.3 million people have already been vaccinated, injections “are not a free pass” to break the rules.
And it won’t be until February, at the earliest, when we will begin to see the effects of the vaccine reducing infections, he added.
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Boris Johnson urges people to exercise ‘maximum vigilance’
With England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty also claiming that the UK is at the ‘worst moment’ of the pandemic so far, ministers are considering how they can reduce cases further away.
Supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have said they will refuse entry to anyone who does not wear a mask.
And banning exercise with anyone outside of your home and increasing the two-meter social distance rule are also among the measures being considered.
On Monday, the government eliminated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from its list of travel brokers in response to increasing cases in Dubai and other emirates, which require passengers to self-isolate for 10 days upon their return to the UK.
Starting at 4 a.m. on Friday, almost anyone arriving in England by plane, boat or train will also have to prove that they have tested negative for the virus in the previous 72 hours.
They will then have to quarantine themselves for 10 days regardless of the outcome, Transport Minister Robert Courts said.
There will be £ 500 fines for anyone who breaks the new rules, he added.
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In North yorkshire Over the weekend, police officers handed out more than 70 tickets for breaking the rules, including several house parties.
They were also forced to come to the rescue of a Rochdale couple who were trapped on a mountain in Ingleborough on Sunday afternoon.
North Yorkshire Police Superintendent Mike Walker said: “This weekend we very strongly advised members of the public to stay home and when exercising to stay in the area to stop the spread of COVID.
“Simply driving miles and miles outside of your town, town or city to visit open space is not a necessary journey and is not acceptable.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson caused confusion after the Evening Standard reported that he was spotted seven miles from his home in Downing Street cycling in the Olympic Park in East London.
His health secretary later suggested this was within the rules when asked about it at a 10th press conference.
