Over 400 people fined for breaking Covid-19 travel limits

The majority of the fines, 300, were issued last weekend for suspected breaches of the Government’s travel restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.

People are required to stay at home except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes.

Exercise is permitted with five kilometres of home.

Gardai said between Monday and Friday of last week a total of 74 fines for non-essential travel had been processed.

The fines issued over the weekend will now be checked and processed.

Once these are processed, definitive figures will be available later this week.

Since January 11, the Garda have been permitted to issue a 100 euro fixed payment notice to anyone in breach of travel restrictions.

Gardai had warned the public not to travel for non-essential reasons and that checks were being conducted throughout the country.

They have reminded people that the 5km limit includes the distance travelled to a location to exercise.

“In other words, you can’t travel more than 5km to a location to exercise,” a Garda spokesman said.

On Sunday gardai in Wicklow issued over 70 fixed payment notices and turned back over 200 vehicles after issuing a caution to the drivers.

In Longford, 30 people were fined and 70 vehicles were turned back after gardai from Roscommon/Longford roads policing conducted a check at Newcastle Woods, Ballymahon on Sunday.