Two owners of a café in Jindabyne have been arrested for refusing to wear face masks, and a further 78 people have been issued fines as police crack down on public health order breaches.
Officers attended the café, on Snowy Valley Way, Jindabyne, on Wednesday after receiving numerous complaints from members of the public that staff were not complying with health orders.
When they arrived, they found the owners – a 32-year-old woman and 33-year-old man – were not wearing face masks, despite being asked to do so.
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They were arrested and charged, and later released on conditional bail.
When officers revisited the café two days later, they found once again no face coverings being worn by members of the public, no QR code and no sign-in sheet.
The owners were subsequently issued $1000 fines each.
"Police tried to work with this café," NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Gary Worboys said.
"There were infringement notices issued.
"The next step will be, if that café refuses to comply with the public health order... I am sure the health minister would be in the position to issue a closure notice under the Public Health Act to the premises.
"So, that's that escalation of events that both police and health are prepared to take to make sure that people not only comply with that public health orders but protect their customers and workers."
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Dozens more NSW residents have since been fined for not wearing face masks, including staff members at a Bowral cafe – a 63-year-old man and two women, aged 62 and 43.
A group of men who travelled to the Jenolan Caves from Sydney's west, have been also caught by police and fined.
When officers asked the group – two men aged 21 and one aged 23 – for their reason for visiting the caves, they responded with "because they were feeling bored".
"The tour operator there realised where they were from, called police, those people returned to Sydney and issued each an infringement notice for $1000," Deputy Commissioner Worboys said.
"It is quite clear now that people will report this sort of behaviour to police and we'll take action."
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NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard slammed those caught doing the wrong thing, saying that the entire community must all collectively follow health instructions.
"We are deep in a war with this virus and we can't win this war unless the community are all with us," he said.
"You don't win it with whacko views. Unfortunately, we're seeing that some people who think it's OK not to wear masks.
"My strong message to the community is, we will only win this war against the virus if people wear masks and follow all the other instructions that we understand will keep us safe.
"Wear a mask and don't get caught up in the whacko views some are expressing."
