Police hit tourist with $1000 fine for breaching COVID self-quarantine while holiday in Denmark

A 47-year-old tourist has been fined $1000 after he failed to comply with a direction to self-quarantine for 14 days, leading to his arrest in front of shocked onlookers in Denmark on Thursday. Police officers dressed in protective equipment arrested the man, who was holidaying in the Great Southern town, at the Prawn Rock Channel car park. He was interviewed by police and later issued with a $1000 infringement for failing to comply with a direction under the Emergency Management Act. In a statement to the Albany Advertiser, WA Police confirmed the man had been fined for his breach of self-quarantine. “The 47-year-old Carlisle man was contacted by authorities and directed to self-quarantine in a suitable premises because he was deemed to be a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case,” police said. “The man, who was at a caravan park in Denmark, was advised he needed to relocate to suitable premises for self-quarantine. “He failed to do so, and was later located by police in a carpark in Denmark.” After being released from custody late on Thursday night, the man was directed to return to his home address in Perth and stay there for the remainder of his self-quarantine period. The Advertiser understands the man is yet to return a positive test for COVID-19. According to the WA Government, a close contact is defined as someone who has had face-to-face contact or shared a close space with a positive COVID-19 case while they were considered infectious. A close contact can also be someone who was in area where there was a “high prevalence of COVID-19 infection or has been in a venue when COVID-19 transmission was occurring”. An individual who fails to comply with a direction under the Emergency Management Act 2005 can be issued a $1000 on-the-spot infringement. If the matter is dealt with by the courts, the maximum penalty is 12 months imprisonment or a $50,000 fine.