Woman fined £1,000 for going to pub 25 minutes after being told to self-isolate

The woman ignored instructions to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19
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A woman in northwest England has been handed a £1,000 fine after heading to the pub just minutes after being told to self-isolate.

The woman jumped in a taxi to a nearby bar 25 minutes after she was contacted by a local Test and Trace official.

The contact tracing system was able to confirm the breach and the woman was handed the penalty by police officers in the Cumbrian town of Barrow.

The woman was instructed to self-quarantine after she was found to have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

Superintendent Carl Patrick, of Cumbria police, said: “This was a blatant breach and put all those this woman came into contact with at unnecessary risk.

“The Covid-19 virus continues to spread rapidly across our county.

“It is up to everybody to show personal responsibility and to be careful to follow the guidance and rules in place to keep everyone safe.

“The vast majority of people in Cumbria have stuck to the rules and made many personal sacrifices over the past few months to keep themselves, their families and our communities safe.

“We must all continue to stick to the guidance and regulations and all do our bit to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.”

Councillor Ann Thomson, the leader of Barrow Borough Council, said: "It saddens me deeply that someone would disregard an instruction to self-isolate from a member of our Track and Trace team.

"This selfish action could knowingly place other people at risk.

"Cases of coronavirus are spreading rapidly across our area. Please take this situation extremely seriously and stay at home if you are told to self-isolate.

"Ignoring this instruction will not only land you with a fine, it could put those you come into contact with and others in grave danger."

Barrow-in-Furness is currently suffering a coronavirus infection rate of 225.2 per 100,000, with 151 new cases recorded in the seven days up to October 5.

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