Suspected COVID-19 patient living in Australia's virus epicentre 'breaks isolation orders to go shopping and visit a mate because he "doesn’t care" about the deadly bug'
- Man, 52, from Sydney's eastern suburbs allegedly ignored self-isolation orders
- He allegedly tried to go shopping and see a friend and told police he didn't care
- New South Wales Police have issued 560 coronavirus fines in just four weeks
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
A suspected coronavirus patient living in Australia's infection epicentre is accused of ignoring isolation orders and telling police he 'doesn't care' about the disease.
The 52-year-old man from Sydney's eastern suburbs was tested for COVID-19 at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Monday and was told he must isolate for 48 hours while awaiting his results.
Sydney's eastern suburbs has the highest concentration of coronavirus cases in New South Wales, which has more cases of the disease than any other state or territory in the country.
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Medical staff test patients for COVID-19 at the drive through coronavirus testing clinic in Bondi
Police performing a compliance check on Tuesday afternoon allege the man left his home to go shopping and then visit a friend.
The man allegedly told police he didn't care about the deadly bug and could leave his house whenever he pleased.
He was later arrested and charged with failing to comply with a noticed direction at Maroubra Police Station, before being refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Wednesday.
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The man is among a growing list of Australians young and old who are copping $1,000 fines for disobeying coronavirus restrictions.
During the past four weeks alone, the New South Wales Police Force has issued 560 penalty infringement notices for being out of home without a reasonable excuse.
A 26-year-old man from south-west Sydney was busted on Wednesday, with police revealing he had 'told officers he was going to see a friend for relationship advice'.
Police officers patrol Bondi Beach in Sydney to enforce social distancing measures on Sunday
The Heckenberg man was given a $1,000 fine, ten minutes after he had disobeyed a formal warning from the Liverpool area command to go home.
At the other end of the age spectrum, a 64-year-old man from Woollahra, in Sydney's east, was found almost 300km away at Boomerang Beach near Forster on the state's mid-north coast.
When asked why he was there, he allegedly told police 'he had been on the beach for two hours using his mobile phone'.
Last week, a 41-year-old man from Bathurst in the state's central west was fined $1,000 for taking a morning walk, even though exercise is allowed under tighter COVID-19 public health order restrictions that came into effect on March 31.
Despite that, the police argued 'he gave several different reasons for being out of his home'.
Under stage three restrictions in NSW, gatherings are restricted to no more than two people except for members of someone's immediate household.
Residents are only allowed to leave their homes for essential reasons, including for food, work or education, exercise and medical care or compassionate needs.
Disobeying a COVID-19 rule incurs a $1,000 fine in NSW, Western Australia, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.
In Queensland it's $1,334.50, in Victoria it's $1,652 and in the Northern Territory, $1,099.
Police speaking with three beachgoers at a closed Brighton Beach in Melbourne in March
Fines across Australia are a controversial issue, considering people are being penalised even for obeying strict rules to remain 1.5 metres apart in public.
In Victoria, the state's deputy commissioner Shane Patton has promised to review every fine, after police interrupted a funeral despite mourners adhering to the 10-person rule.
'I will review every one of those personally to ensure they have been appropriately issued and that common sense is being applied,' he said on Tuesday.
Victorian police last week dropped a $1,652 fine handed out to 17-year-old learner driver Hunter Reynolds, who was receiving driving lessons from her mother Sharee, about 30km from their Hampton home, in Melbourne's south-east.
