Northern Territory Police have issued a 33-year-old man in Alice Springs with an infringement notice for failing to wear a mask as required under the Chief Health Officer Directions.

The man was located by Alice Springs Council rangers near the post office around 2:40pm yesterday and advised of the requirement. He refused and allegedly became abusive towards the ranger, resulting in the rangers calling for police assistance.

The man continued to refuse requests from police to don a face mask. He was subsequently arrested and taken to Alice Springs Police Station, where he was issued an infringement notice and a mask before being released.

Shortly after 6:30pm, the same man was located in public without a mask again. He again refused to don a mask on request and displayed signs of a mental health condition. He was transported to Alice Springs Hospital for an assessment, where he was admitted for care.

Incident Controller Acting Commander Sachin Sharma said, “The man’s behaviour led attending officers to suspect a health condition, so rather than issue a second infringement, St John Ambulance was called for assistance to convey the man to hospital.

“We remind all residents affected by the lockdown that masks are a legal requirement when outside your homes, even for exercise. If you have a medical condition and you are unable to wear a mask, please don’t go out. Consider seeking assistance from family or household members to access essential goods and services or call the COVID Lockdown Advice Hotline for assistance on 1800 193 111.  Providing care is one of the accepted reasons for leaving your home.

“The NT Police will continue to enforce all Chief Health Officer’s directions with a zero tolerance approach for the sake of community safety.”

The penalty for failing to abide by the Chief Health Officer Directions issued under section 56 of the Public and Environment Health Act 2011 is $5056 for an individual and $25,280 for a business.

For more information on COVID-19, visit www.coronavirus.nt.gov.au