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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Andrew Brown

Police have received more than 600 reports of coronavirus incidents in the ACT

ACT police have received more than 600 reports of coronavirus-related incidents, but are yet to issue a penalty.

Of those, officers have been called out to 164 reported breaches of COVID-19 directions since April 8. And 140 calls have been made to ACT police following the set up of a dedicated coronavirus helpline (6207 7244).

An ACT police spokesman said no infringements had been issued since the restrictions came into place.

"In all COVID-19 related matters that have required police attendance, officers spoke to those involved to educate them about social distancing and current health directions," the spokesman said.

"Everyone was cooperative with police and followed advice."

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ACT police have said they are trying to educate people about the restrictions before issuing formal warnings or fines.

ACT chief police officer Ray Johnson said Canberrans should continue to remain vigilant around social distancing restrictions.

"I recognise Canberrans have heightened feelings about the risk of spread of COVID-19, but now is the time to show understanding and support," he said.

"These experiences are new for everyone, so it is fair that we continue to educate people and encourage compliance first before moving to warnings and fines.

"The safety of the ACT community is our primary focus, and I would encourage the community to continue to work with police together in a positive way to encourage compliance."

Our COVID-19 news articles relating to public health and safety are free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. If you're looking to stay up to date on COVID-19, you can also sign up for our twice-daily digest here.

More than 600 reports of potential coronavirus breaches have been made to ACT police. Picture: Karleen Minney
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