16 Australians fined for 26,000 dollars for defying lockdown by celebrating birthday party

The 16 people were fined 26,000 Australian dollars (USD 18,109) for defying the government imposed strict restrictions by partying during the country’s second lockdown that has been imposed to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus cases in the nation. He said the Victoria police have issued 60 fines over 24 hours for similar breaches of the lockdown that are in place with stage 3 restrictions during which people are allowed to go out only for four reasons -- exercise, buying essentials, work or medical needs.

A backyard birthday party turned out to be an expensive one for a group of residents here when Victoria Police on Friday swooped on them for violating the lockdown restrictions and imposed a fine of 26,000 Australian dollars on 16 of them. The incident happened when the police went to check the backyard birthday party after paramedics spotted two people at a KFC outlet in Dandenong suburb ordering food for 20 people at 1:30 am.

"They spoke to the people at KFC and subsequently, there was a report made to us," Shane Patton, Victoria police's chief commissioner, said. He said the police took out further details and went to the address. "We got the registration number of the car and we followed through and went to that address in Dandenong," he said.

"That is a heck of a birthday party to recall. They will remember that one for a long time," he said. The 16 people were fined 26,000 Australian dollars (USD 18,109) for defying the government imposed strict restrictions by partying during the country's second lockdown that has been imposed to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus cases in the nation.

He said the Victoria police have issued 60 fines over 24 hours for similar breaches of the lockdown that are in place with stage 3 restrictions during which people are allowed to go out only for four reasons -- exercise, buying essentials, work or medical needs. Patton said he was disappointed by the "ridiculous" behaviour of some people who are defying stage three coronavirus restrictions. "In this case all 16 people were fined by police," he said.

Patton also warned that police would be less lenient than last time when it came to issuing fines. Victoria on Friday recorded close to 300 new coronavirus cases, the biggest spike in infections since the pandemic began and the fifth consecutive day of triple-digit rises.

Till now Australia has reported 9,359 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 106 deaths, according to Australian media reports..

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