A Frenchman has been fined a total of €9,000 after being caught breaking mandatory quarantine five times during police inspections.

The man was caught outside of his designated residence three times when the fine was still €1,000, and a subsequent two more times when it had been raised to €3,000, TVM reported.

And he wasn’t the only person to receive the large fine – at least two Indian men have been fined €3,000 each, as well as an Italian national and a Maltese person.

Countless people are currently holed up at home in Malta, and indeed around the world, in an effort to minimise the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

While most people have voluntarily followed the quarantine, some cases of people ignoring the orders and leaving their homes have been found.

A total of 11 fines have been issued so far, authorities confirmed, with a total of 1,021 spot checks to ensure those that are meant to stay inside are following guidelines being carried out in both Malta and Gozo, Clive Tonna, the Director of the Public Health Directorate, said.

Share this story to raise awareness on the importance of staying inside during this global pandemic.