‘This is a health crisis not a holiday’ - police to ramp up patrols over Easter

Motorists have been warned that if they do not have a valid reason for being in the vicinity, they will be turned back along the way they came, and if they refuse to heed this advice they will be fined.

The PSNI have issued a total of nearly 100 Community Resolution Notices to people across Northern Ireland in connection with Covid 19 regulations to date.

While no Fixed Penalty Notices had been issued by Thursday, police warned that they will continue to review the approaches being taken.

Speaking about the Easter weekend, a PSNI spokesperson said: “The message is clear. Stay at home. This is traditionally a busy weekend when people would visit family, attend services or visit resorts or beauty spots however we have to remember, as has been said time and time again, that this is a health crisis not a holiday. We need to behave differently.

“This battle against the virus is a marathon and not a sprint. I have been really pleased and proud to see how the health service has stepped up as well as the response from blue light colleagues and people in society. We have seen a lot of good will. We have also seen however evidence that a lot of people still are not taking the advice to stay at home, not heeding our three Es – Engage, Explain and Encourage - and we have now issued almost 100 Community Resolution Notices directing people to behave differently.

“We will be stepping up again. You will see more police patrols and checkpoints across Northern Ireland for example at beauty spots, on roads going to key resorts to actually talk to motorists and ask them to explain why they are going about their journey. If you don’t have a reasonable explanation, we will turn you back. And if you don’t listen to that advice we will issue a Fixed Penalty Notice.

“Exercise and wellbeing are of course important however I have a simple plea – start your exercise at your front door. Stay at home. You’re not stuck indoors, you’re actually saving lives by being inside.”

Police stressed that the vast majority of people have by and large complied with the request to stay at home to protect the health service and to save lives but said that there are “unfortunately a number of people who continue to ignore the messaging”.

“So whilst our approach will continue to be engaging with people, explaining the regulations and encourage them to comply, I think there are a small number of people, if the trend continues over the weekend, can expect to see us move to the fourth ‘E’ which is some form of enforcement.”

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