Hertfordshire Police have issued advice to all residents following the new powers given to them to protect the public.
They are designed to help stop the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.
Officers now have the following powers for those who ignore the advice:
• Instruct them to go home, leave an area or disperse
• Ensure parents are taking necessary steps to stop their children breaking these rules
• Issue a fixed penalty notice of £200, which will be lowered to £100 if paid within 14 days.
• The fixed penalty notice amounts double for each subsequent offence, up to £6,400 for the sixth and subsequent offences.
Hertfordshire Chief Constable Charlie Hall said: “This is a public health emergency and compliance with these measures are considered necessary to achieve the objective of effective social distancing.
“We have all heard the scientific advice which clearly states this will slow the spread of the virus and save people’s lives.
“The Constabulary urges self-compliance within all Hertfordshire’s communities. Officers and staff will encourage all citizens to do so, remind those who we see in public who we believe may not be following them to do so, and only resort to enforcement action as a last resort.
“If we all work at this together we will slow the spread, save more lives and enable us to return to normality sooner.”
Hertfordshire Chief Constable Charlie Hall said: “This is a public health emergency and compliance with these measures are considered necessary to achieve the objective of effective social distancing.
Please follow the Commissioner’s and Constabulary’s social media for updates and use the website
www.herts.police.uk to contact the police rather than dialling 101, and only call 999 in an emergency.
Self-isolation
Self-isolation is not the same as lockdown and means staying at home because you are at risk of infecting others. It is a vital part of bringing coronavirus infection rates down.
Many people manage to self-isolate successfully but for some it can be a real challenge – whether that’s because of family commitments, caring responsibilities, a financial need to work or because people don’t fully understand what it means. But the OPCC and local organisations are eager to highlight the support available.
You should self-isolate when:
- you are symptomatic or have tested positive (10 days)
- someone in your household or bubble is symptomatic or has tested positive (14 days)
- when asked to by NHS Test and Trace or a nursery, school or college (14 days)
Things you can’t do when in isolation:
- visit family or friends or have visitors to your home (except for people providing essential care)
- go to any shops or supermarkets – order food and medicine online or ask for help
- go out to exercise or walk your dog – exercise at home or in your garden
- go to work, university, college or school - work from home if you can
- use public transport, taxis or share a car
- attend parties or other events, even if these are outside
Please continue to play your part to protect your families, friends, neighbours and communities by washing your hands, covering your face, giving people space and meeting up with as few people as possible.
If you are feeling unwell, you should book a test at www.gov.uk/coronavirus or call 119
For support from HertsHelp visit
www.hertshelp.net, email
info@hertshelp.net or call 0300 123 4044.