COVID-19: New England Police chief says operation Stay at Home is his first priority with PINs issued in Inverell

One, a 31-year-old man from Cabramatta who arrived in Armidale on Sunday by public transport, has been sentenced to two months jail.

New England Area District Acting Commander David Cooper said when the matter went before Armidale Local Court on Monday the severity of the sentence reflected the importance being placed on policing lockdown breaches.

"He had no valid reason to be here, and he was arrested and charged with breaching the Public Health Act, bail refused and taken before Armidale Court on Monday where he was sentenced to two months imprisonment," he said.

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A/Supt Cooper said it was the first time since the pandemic began that he had heard of such a strong response to a lockdown breach in NSW.

"He was imprisoned on that breach alone, and that to me illustrates the seriousness of it," A/Supt Cooper said. "He now has a criminal record."

A/Supt Cooper said the man was in the custody of Corrective Services and will undergo a COVID-19 test.

"We were able to establish that he was not a known close contact and was not displaying any COVID-19 symptoms" he said.

Since midnight on Saturday a total of 31 infringements have been issued across the New England Police district. In the 24 hours since Tuesday, New England Police have issued 10 Public Health Act infringement fines of $1000 each.

Five of those were issued in Armidale, two were issued in Inverell, and three were issued at Moree.

"NSW Police is definitely in a compliance and enforcement phase, and we are trying to do our best to ensure that people are properly educated," A/Supt Cooper said.

"People have to know by now that we are in lockdown and understand what the rules are - that is why we are moving into giving infringement notices.

"It is certainly not something we take any pleasure in doing, but if people are not going to do the right thing, that is what is going to happen."

A/Supt Cooper said the infringements related to the movement of people and not wearing facemasks with many fines given to people shopping in company.

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"Only one person from a household can go and do the shopping," he said.

"We are finding that families are arranging to meet up in commercial premises claiming they are shopping when really they are just having a catch-up. We also had people being away from home without a reasonable excuse and not wearing face masks in indoor areas."

All available police are dedicated to operation Stay at Home, A/Supt Cooper said, and in general, compliance has been excellent.

"When our police are not dealing with preventing crime, they are dealing with Covid compliance," he said.

"There are definitely fewer people out and about in Armidale, and the majority of people in the community are doing the right thing."

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