Police have been given powers to be able to tell if people in Southport should be self isolating or not if they’re caught breaking the rules.
Officers are being granted access to the details of people told to self-isolate by the government’s Test and Trace scheme so they can easily check if you should be home or not.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed it had “agreed a memorandum of understanding with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC)” to provide forces with the information on a “case-by-case basis”.
It means police will be better equipped to deal with anyone in Southport who they suspect may be breaking the rules, as well as being able to keep themselves safe when interacting with members of the public they need to question or come into close contact with.
Anyone who receives a positive result for COVID-19 is currently required to isolate for 10 days after displaying symptoms – or 10 days after receiving their result if asymptomatic.
Members of the person’s household must also isolate for 14 days.
Failure to comply with these legal requirements can lead to a fine starting at £1,000 for first offences, which can scale up to £10,000 for repeat offences and serious breaches of the law.
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