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| - Northern Irish police on Friday launched a website asking members of the public to report fellow citizens for breaching coronavirus social distancing guidelines. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) website allows individuals to report non-essential travel, gatherings of people from multiple households in public or private, and licensed premises remaining open. "Tell us about a possible breach of coronavirus (COVID-19) measures," reads a link to the page on the PSNI website. A form then asks users to input the address where the incident is alleged to have occurred as well as their own personal details. "We want to resolve situations where the restrictions are being contravened without having to resort to enforcement powers or issuing fines," PSNI assistant chief constable Alan Todd said in a statement. "However, where breaches do occur, we want to make it as easy as possible for members of the public to tell us." Todd asked the public to "carefully consider the circumstances before making a report" but said "all reports will be considered" by officers. Emergency powers enacted in Northern Ireland on 28 March mandated the closure of businesses, the cancellation of gatherings and placed limits on non-essential travel. Officers have the power to issue £60 ($75, 69 euros) fines to those in breach of the regulations, doubling each time the breach is repeated to a maximum of £960. The PSNI has received 906 complaints of COVID-19 restrictions being broken since they came into effect. There have been 1,477 confirmed cases and 82 reported deaths associated with the coronavirus in Northern Ireland, according to the latest figures from the province's Public Health Agency (PHA). jts/jj/jv
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