UK to Increase Fines to £800 for Residents Attending and Hosting House Parties

New COVID-19 related measures in the UK aim to increase the crackdown of house parties with more than 15 people present. Starting next week, fines of £800 will be assessed to attendees who break the law, an amount that is quadruple the current fee of £200.

Home Secretary Priti Patel expressed frustration stating the government would “not stand by while a small number of individuals put others at risk.” Martin Hewitt, Chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, chimed in to decry large gatherings as “dangerous” and “irresponsible.”

Believing prior measures were not effective enough, Hewitt has welcomed the stricter penalties. He went on to provide recent examples of residents continuing to break regulations. In one instance, he cited a packed house party of over 40 people where one officer was hospitalized and two others injured.

Meanwhile, party organizers face steeper fines of up to £10,000 depending on the size of the event. 

The UK is currently experiencing an exponential spike in active COVID-19 cases, as that number approaches 2 million. According to Worldometer, almost 100,000 people have died in the country. 

Source: BBC