Drunk Geelong train passenger fined

A microscopic image of the coronavirus.

By Luke Voogt

A Geelong resident who police found drunk on a Frankston train copped a $1652 fine yesterday for breaching COVID-19 public health directives.

Police are yet to release the identity, age, sex or home suburb of the person, one of 89 people fined in the past 24 hours for breaching state-wide restrictions.

“We are unable to go into any further details around these or other incidents,” Victoria Police spokesperson Natalie Webster said.

Yesterday police conducted 893 spot checks at Victorian homes, businesses and non-essential services.

Since 21 March, police have conducted a total of 25,814 spot checks as part of Operation Sentinel.

But in better news for social distancing, Geelong and Surf Coast COVID-19 cases have again remained level, according to the latest data.

Confirmed coronavirus cases have remained on 62 for greater Geelong since last Tuesday while Surf Coast cases have remained on 10 since April 10, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Fifteen Victorians, aged from their 50s to 80s, have died from the disease so far.

Across Victoria confirmed cases increased by seven to 1336, including 695 males and 641 females, with people aged from babies to their early nineties.

The increase included a person who recently arrived from overseas and was diagnosed in mandatory quarantine in a city hotel, according to the department.

In Victoria 138 confirmed cases may have been acquired through community transmission with more than 88,000 tests conducted to date, according to the department.

Another 791 cases were acquired through overseas travel and 402 through contact with a known source, while five cases remain under investigation, according to the department.

Currently 28 people are in hospital, including 12 patients in intensive care and 1202 people have recovered.

Of the 1336 cases, 1058 occurred in metropolitan Melbourne and 241 in regional Victoria. Several cases remain under investigation.

Recent daily fluctuations in new COVID-19 cases resulted from increased testing and travellers returning from overseas on repatriation flights, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said.

“The increases we are seeing are still small and this is encouraging,” Professor Sutton said.

“They prove that our physical distancing measures are working.

“But this is not a time to relax our strong approach as this disease can get away from you very quickly, as we have seen in cities overseas.

“We thank those Victorians who overwhelmingly are doing the right thing by staying at home, but we must keep at it to save lives.”

Under the current State of Emergency Victorians are only permitted to leave home for food and supplies, medical care and care giving, exercise, and work or education.

Police can issue on-the-spot fines, including up to $1652 for individuals and up to $9913 for businesses.