Two thirds of people fined for breaking Covid restrictions FAIL to pay up – as taxpayer-funded debt collectors are tasked with making them cough up
- Police issued 1,038 fines worth more than $2.5million in SA in last nine months
- State government debt collectors intervened in 705 cases but 621 remain unpaid
- There is now $811,000 worth of fines still be collected by government officials
- It comes after almost 100 private security guards at SA’s medi-hotels were fired
Coronavirus rule breakers have failed to pay more than $800,000 in fines and are now being chased by taxpayer-funded debt collectors.
Two thirds of people fined for breaking Covid-19 restrictions in South Australia, are yet to pay them or have refused to do so.
SA Police issued 1,038 fines worth more than $2.5 million in the past nine months.
South Australian Police stop vehicles on the SA border. State police have issued 1,038 fines worth more than $2.5 million in the last nine months – but 621 remain unpaid
State government debt collectors intervened in 705 of the cases but 621 police-issued fines worth $811,000 are still unpaid as of Monday, according to the Adelaide Advertiser.
SA reported four new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, three women in their 20s and one man in his 30s, who are all returned travellers quarantined in medi-hotels.
Almost 100 private security guards at SA’s medi-hotels were fired or stood down for a wide range of shocking protocol breaches.
An outbreak at a Adelaide medi-hotel also sparked a temporary statewide lockdown.
SA Police and COVID-19 marshals convene outside of the normally-busy Rundle Mall in November. 621 police-issued fines worth $811,000 are still unpaid as of Monday
At least 94 security guards working at South Australian medi-hotels were stood down over quarantine protocol breaches. Pictured are guests at a medi-hotel in Adelaide earlier in 2020
A South Australia Police report recently given to a state parliamentary coronavirus committee, which was made public on Sunday, revealed dozens of guards were stood down for shocking blunders.
One guard was sacked after they were suspected of being drunk as they smelt of alcohol while on duty.
A second was fired after they impersonated an Australian Defence Force officer so they could park at a medi-hotel for free.
Another was dismissed after they uploaded a video on social media filmed at a medi-hotel while one was sacked for being disorderly.
The final sacked security guard was caught sleeping on the job while guarding a floor where guests were in government-mandated quarantine.
Hotel quarantine protocols have been tightened since almost 100 security guards were either sacked or stood down. Pictured are returned travellers arriving at a medi-hotel for quarantine