Another 71 on the spot fines have been issued for breaches of COVID-19 regulations in Galway over the past week.
The latest figures from An Garda Síochána show that 778 fines have been issued in Galway for various COVID offences to date, up from 707 the week before.
This is almost twice as many as were recorded here in the previous week, when Gardaí issued 42 fines.
These cover a range of regulations breaches, including travelling beyond the 5km limit without a valid reason, organising or attending a house party or other event, and failing to wear a face mask where required.
Deputy Commissioner of Policing and Security, Anne Marie McMahon said, “The vast majority of people are compiling with the public health regulations. Thank you and please keep it up.
“Your contribution is appreciated by Gardaí throughout the country. We know it is hard and it has meant significant sacrifices, but you are helping to save lives and protect those on the front-line.”
“The best way of keeping safe this weekend is to stay home. If you are going out, please stay within your 5km, limit your contacts with others, maintain social distancing, and regularly wash your hands.”
The week on week increase in fines seen in Galway is reflected nationwide. There have been 2,339 people fined in the past week, compared with 1,412 in the prior week.
More than 1,000 of those were for breaking the 5km travel restriction, and another 240 people have been fined for attending a house party.
Only six more people in the country have been given a larger fine of €500 for organising a house party in the past week.
Cork City remains the Garda Division which has recorded the greatest number of fines, with 1,650 issued to date, followed by Dublin North (1,331), and Limerick (1,113).
The Galway Garda Division has seen the fourth highest number of people fined for COVID breaches in the country.
