Ballarat's highest-ranking police officer has praised the actions of the majority of community members for heeding the advice of authorities and taking appropriate steps to stop the spread of coronavirus, though police continue to have some concerns.
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While the number of COVID-19 cases in Ballarat remained steady at eight on Monday, a second Hepburn Shire resident was confirmed to have the virus at the weekend. No new cases were confirmed in addition to the one previously confirmed in Moorabool Shire and none in neighbouring Pyrenees or Golden Plains shires.
According to Ballarat Health Services' Acute Operations Director Ben Kelly, fewer people presented to the fever clinic for testing at the weekend.
It comes as leading medical professionals, including Federal Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, said the government's social distancing measures were working and had resulted in a "stabilisation of the numbers" of new infections, but it "[was] not a time to take the foot off the brake".
"We really need to redouble our efforts to work as a society to make sure we are doing everything we can to slow the spread of the virus," Professor Kelly said.
These sentiments were echoed by Victorian Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton, who said that if the nation sticks to the strict social distancing measures being enforced then the number of national cases could be capped at between 10-15,000.
Police superintendent Jenny Wilson said while the majority of residents were doing the right thing and were abiding by the social restrictions of health officials, some were not - with some residents even putting frontline members at risk.
"On the whole it's been pretty good in very trying circumstances when everybody is stressed," she said.
"The difficult part, I think, for the community as a whole is that we are in a state of emergency but we can't see the emergency unless we are sitting in a hospital."
Coughing on police
There have been several recent local cases of police officers being threatened by community members who allege they have COVID-19 and threaten to or proceed to cough on the officer.
Threatening to inflict serious injury, even if it is not carried out, is an offence under the Crimes Act and can result in charges.
On Monday, Superintendent Wilson told members that the issue was not something to be taken lightly and if the circumstances fit, then the offenders should be charged.
While she said police understood it was a difficult time for all, such behaviour makes it much more difficult for police to undertake their duties.
"The implications are that those members may have to take time off work and that takes police off the frontline," she said.
Superintendent Wilson said the flow-on effect of such behaviour was genuine concern from the member for not only themselves, but their families and children.
Police patrols ongoing
Meanwhile, police patrols are continuing across the region as part of Operation Sentinel.
Patrols include checking in on the large number of returned travellers living across the police service area - encompassing the Ballarat, Hepburn, Golden Plains, Pyrenees and Moorabool areas - with police also being kept busy responding to tip-offs from the public.
While nobody in the region has yet been issued a fine, Superintendent Wilson said patrols would increase again this week to ensure every community member is complying with the social restrictions dictated by the government.
Police were recently given strengthened powers to enforce these restrictions. While in most cases people will be provided with a warning, if there are persistent breaches an individual can be fined up to $1,652 and businesses up to $9,913.
Under the State of Emergency, individuals who refuse to comply could wind up in court and be slapped with fines of up to $20,000 while businesses could be fined up to $100,000.
Continuing concerns
While Superintendent Wilson said the majority of people were listening to the health advice and were staying home, police do have concerns that many people are still venturing outdoors for non-essential reasons.
At the weekend, police noticed a high number of people visiting shopping precincts across the region and high traffic at national parks including Werribee Gorge, Mackenzies Flat and the You Yangs Regional Park.
The latter is particularly concerning given that many of the tracks are only a metre wide, so people are not able to adhere to the 1.5 metre distance requirement. These parks will be a focus going forward.
Superintendent Wilson said she was also concerned after hearing reports of phone and online scams and of door-to-door salespeople, potentially scammers, operating in the region. She said police were keeping a close on these and encouraged anybody affected to contact police.
While there have been no reports of online child grooming in this region, Superintendent Wilson urged the community to be vigilant about children using electronic devices.
"Be cautious about what your children are doing online and make sure you're aware of who your children are engaging with," she said. "Provide some sort of supervision because unfortunately in these times where there is chaos and concern, there are certain people in the community who take advantage of that."
Police are also concerned about the potential for a rise in family violence during the isolation period, as well as increasing mental health call-outs.
Meanwhile, local police are already beginning to see an increase in shoplifting due to unemployment.
Superintendent Wilson said at a time when people were spending more time at home and with a lot of anxiety in the community, it was important for people to take time out for themselves and to maintain connections with others.
"I'd encourage people to get on the phone and have chats to each other even though it may look a bit different," she said.
"If you're feeling depressed or over anxious then seek health advice or contact a practitioner or a doctor."
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