Coronavirus social distancing flouters targeted by police drones
Targeting beaches, parks and cafe strips
West Australian police have taken to the air in the fight against coronavirus social distancing flouters.
To reduce the potential exposure of Covid-19 the drones will assist the Police force in the fight against mass gatherings.
The drones will be ‘highly visible’ and fitted with flashing lights and sirens. They will be used for public announcements and also assisting the safety of police officers. With a broadcasting range of up to 1km their message will be heard among those not adhering to social guidelines.
Say WA police: “We will be able to rapidly deploy this resource to public areas when required and significantly improve the communication coverage, compared to that of a police officer on foot.”
Western Australian new Police drones to tackle social distancing. Image: Western Australia Police Force.
Last night Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced tighter social distancing guidelines. Social gatherings are limited to just two people.
Morrison said: “Advice has now been strengthened to say that [guidelines] should be reduced to two persons in public spaces and other areas of gathering.
“Unless it’s your household, the family, those who are living at your residence, that being with only one other person as a gathering outside is what is required. That provides, importantly, for those who may be getting daily exercise, particularly for women, that they wouldn’t be required to walk on their own and they’d be able to walk with another person.
“It’s your household, so your household can be together inside your home, outside your home, outside of your household. If you were out … just on the street today, you could be there with everyone who’s in your household. But if you weren’t with the members of your household, you could be there with one other person maximum.”
Western Australia has said that they will be enforcing the social distancing limits, just yesterday a 73-year-old man was charged with Fail to comply with a direction. He was allegedly seen outside his retirement village in close proximity outside his unit and leaving to attend the local shops and riding his pushbike in the area. The 73-year-old had returned from New Zealand on Thursday as as such was required to self-quarantine.
He will appear in the Geraldton Magistrates Court 16 April 2020.
Michelle Connolly has worked as a photo director, social media manager and photo editor at some of Australia's biggest media companies, including New Idea. She is now editor of Practical Parenting and loving mum-of-two.
