A Rochdale woman has been fined £1,000 after refusing to self-isolate when she returned to Rochdale from a family holiday in Spain.
Rochdale Borough Council received reports that a family in Bamford had returned from Spain and were not self-isolating.
Council officers contacted the family, who admitted they were not self-isolating, and offered them guidance on the self-isolation rules.
Further reports were received so council officers, accompanied by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), visited the couple’s home in Bamford.
The man was at home but the woman had left the house to attend work in a high school in Rossendale, Lancashire.
GMP officers asked her to return home immediately and issued her with a fixed penalty notice of £1,000. The school is working with public health to address the COVID-19 risk.
Enquiries with Border Control confirmed that the couple had lied to officers about when they returned from Spain in an attempt to self-isolate for less time. GMP are considering taking further action against the couple on this.
Councillor Sara Rowbotham, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Coronavirus has presented many challenges for our residents and we know that families have made sacrifices in how they live their lives. However we still need everyone to play their part in stopping the spread of the virus. Self-isolating is a vital part of this.
