Victorians will no longer be allowed to travel outside their local area to exercise, the state government has clarified. Getting on your bike for a pedal outside our neighbourhood could see you slapped with a $1,652 fine.
When Stage 3 restrictions were brought in last week (was it just last week? It feels like a month ago), Premier Daniel Andrews said people would still be able to travel within the lockdown zone – a.k.a. metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire – for exercise and recreational activities.
That included walking, hiking, jogging, cycling, fishing and playing a round of golf.
However, the Andrews government has now clarified that Melburnians are not allowed to travel beyond their local neighbourhood for exercise, if closer facilities are available. That would come under “unreasonable travel”, and could earn you a $1,652 fine.
“Unreasonable travel would include travel within the restricted area to exercise or outdoor recreation where that type of exercise can be done closer to home,” a spokesperson said, reports the Herald Sun.
Just last weekend, police issued 133 fines to people breaching Stage 3 restrictions, totalling almost $220,000. Reasons people have been fined include: house parties, refusing to leave a KFC, visiting a massage parlour, and playing Pokemon Go.
“The time for warnings is over,” Andrews said this week.
He’s also warned that Stage 4 restrictions could be implemented if the the outbreak becomes any worse. Just yesterday, Victoria recorded 317 new infections, the highest daily recorded rate in Australia to date.
