Police stress on compliance with public health orders |13 March 2021
ASP Desnouuse
Even police officers are not impervious to the public health orders and regulation put in place to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak, the Seychelles Police Force has stressed.
With heftier fines for non-compliance of public health orders imposed on March 6, the police continue to ask people to abide by the orders, even though it seems that some restrictions are easing.
“I think it is best for people to abide by the regulations and orders set by the Public Health Authority so as to avoid being fined by the police. The bottom line of all this is that, even police officers are being fined in instances where they breach public health orders,” said the head of traffic.
ASP Desnousse added that there have been instances where police officers have been reprimanded and fined for breaching the public health orders such as unlawful gathering.
“Two weeks back the fixed penalties for public health offences were increased to R1000 for facemasks, R2000 for gathering in public places once you have been advised by public officers to disperse and even instances of managers of businesses, owners of houses and buildings may get fined between R3000 and R5000,” further explained ASP Desnousse.
These staunch fines are also applicable to individuals and companies who disregard the 10pm-4am curfew; persons who enter premises that the Public Health Commissioner has issued an order to be closed and encouraging, harbouring or assisting a person to abscond from the quarantine centre or isolation centre or obstructing the apprehension of infected persons.
There are 16 specified offences in total under the recent Public Health (Fixed Penalties) amended regulations.
Although the constant changes in public health orders is a challenge for the police, ASP Desnousse made note that the force ensures that it regularly updates its officers on the changes.
“There is a possibility that orders will change next week but the moment this happens the police commanders concisely disseminate information to our officers in the lower ranks since they are the ones who will most likely have to enforce these orders,” explained ASP Desnousse.
“When the fixed penalties were first introduced, it was not an easy task for us. We had to seek guidance from the attorney general and his deputy, who came down themselves to explain […] so the majority of police officers are well informed on the orders and regulations.”
Elsie Pointe