Hongkongers pay up US$1.6M in fines for flouting social distancing rules
Residents have shelled out an estimated HK$12.4 million (US$1.6 million) in fines for breaking social distancing rules in Hong Kong, with more yet to pay up.
The force issued 7,530 tickets from March 29 to mid-December to people who were caught participating in prohibited group gatherings, and at least 6,201 of the fines had been settled, police statistics showed.
The government would have accrued at least HK$12.4 million based on the previous penalty of HK$2,000 per offense, according to Apple Daily calculations.
Authorities raised the fine from HK$2,000 to HK$5,000 on Dec. 11 for gatherings of more than two people in public places.
Of the 7,530 tickets, 706 alleged offenders appealed. Under review, 41 tickets were withdrawn because of insufficient evidence.
For owners of restaurants and other business establishments, police had as of Dec. 17 issued 643 warnings and made 206 prosecutions over non-compliance with social distancing regulations.
The force also registered 823 calls to a hotline set up on Nov. 30 for members of the public to report people taking part in junk boat trips and large yacht parties. Most of the calls were inquiries, while 56 were reports of actual cases. Marine police investigations led to the issuance of 10 warnings.
Hong Kong has ramped up social distancing measures as it tackles a fourth wave of infections. The city reported 109 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 8,078 cases, with 129 related deaths.
Under the latest regulations, no more than two people can gather in a public place while public facilities, entertainment venues and nightlife spots are to close by order of the government.
Recent online rumors alleged that police would scour the internet for rule-breakers who posted about their outings on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram. In a reply to Apple Daily, the police would only say that they would enforce the law in accordance with established procedures and take the actual situation into consideration while enforcing the law.
Barrister Duncan Ho said that police were unlikely to use such methods to gather evidence since it would be difficult to prove if specific social distancing rules were in place when the photo was taken, not when the photo was uploaded onto social media. He cautioned that such photos could be used as proof, just like closed-circuit television footage, to show the offender had broken the law while the ban was in effect.
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