On Thursday 8th October, home secretary rolled out plans for £60 million in funds to be shared between police forces and local councils for stringent enforcement of coronavirus rules as part of the government’s efforts to tackle the rise in infections.
This funding will help police increase patrols in town centres and ensure people are complying with new restrictions, particularly in high-risk areas. Around £30 million of the total will be ear-marked to cover costs associated with stepping up anti-coronavirus activity of local councils across different areas of England, including appointing Covid-19 marshals or stewards and ambassadors, as they are referred to in some areas, to help businesses and communities follow the latest guidelines, reducing the burden on police.
Priti Patel said, “This extra funding will strengthen the police’s role in enforcing the law and make sure that those who jeopardise public health face the consequences. The vast majority of the British public has come together, followed the law and helped prevent the spread of this virus. But we’ve been clear that, with infections rising, we will not allow a small minority of people to reverse our hard-won progress.”
Under the current government guidelines, fines ranging between £100 and £10,000 are in place for people refusing to wear face masks, breaching their quarantine requirements or flouting strict rules on large gatherings.
The Home Office is also expected to launch an income loss recovery scheme for police forces to recover a proportion of income they have been losing due to the pandemic.
