More than £60,000 in fines issued for coronavirus-related offences during Term 1 at Warwick

The University of Warwick issued more than £60,000 in fines for coronavirus-related offences during Term 1. 

Between Welcome Week (28 September 2020) and the last day of Week 10 (13 December 2020), 426 fines were issued for coronavirus-related offences, totalling £61,600. 

The average fine issued for all coronavirus related offences was approximately £145*. 

At the start of the academic year, the University set out the Covid-19 sanctions framework with examples of incidents that breach regulations. 

“The sanctions range from a fine of £200 through to being temporarily or permanently withdrawn from your course of study,” the framework states. 

The University outlined that for the academic year 2020/2021, students living in on-campus accommodation are “not allowed to have guests or visitors” or mix with other kitchen groups in residential halls. 

Other offences on the University’s framework include: failure to comply with social distancing and the face covering policy; allowing members of other households to visit; failure to self-isolate, among others. 

Fines issued for illegal gatherings totalled £31,725, which was more than 50% of the total monetary value of all fines issued for coronavirus-related offences. 206 fines were issued for illegal gatherings, meaning the average of each fine was £154. 

122 illegal gatherings were shut down on campus by either campus security or the police. 

The sanctions range from a fine of £200 through to being temporarily or permanently withdrawn from your course of study

– University of Warwick Covid-19 sanctions framework

The police were called to campus for coronavirus-related offences six times during Term 1. The highest fine, including subsequent offences, issued to an individual student totalled £600. 

No students were temporarily or permanently withdrawn from their course of study for breaching coronavirus restrictions during Term 1. 

The University said the money accrued from coronavirus related fines will “go into student welfare and hardship funds”. 

One student who received a fine said: “I received the fine following an incident where there were four people in my kitchen, who were not in my household.

“I wasn’t given a warning, it was an immediate fine from the Residential Life Team.”

In September, the government coronavirus rules outlined that only six people from other households could meet socially both indoors and outdoors. Coventry moved to tier two Covid restrictions in October, where households could not mix indoors. The UK went entered a second national lockdown for four weeks in November. 

Commenting on those who breached coronavirus regulations, the University said: “Don’t do it. Not just because you may face a penalty, and possible police action, but principally because we as a community of staff and students should all play our part in supporting public health measures because we all want to save lives, protect each other’s health, and to safely return to being able to do much more in person with our friends and families and colleagues.”

*All figures rounded to the nearest pound.