A run for KFC in Melbourne has led to a $26,000 (£14,360) lockdown fine for a group of birthday partygoers.
The infringement of stay-at-home directions was discovered after two people ordered about 20 meals at a KFC store in Dandenong about 1.30am on Friday.
The large order raised suspicion among ambulance workers at the store, who notified police of their concern.
Police followed their car to a townhouse in the suburb where they found a group of people who then tried to hide in the backyard, garage and under beds.
The Victorian police commissioner, Shane Patton, on Friday said 16 fines for breaching coronavirus restrictions were issued at the party, as the state posted a record 288 new cases of Covid-19.
“That is absolutely ridiculous that type of behaviour, and it’s a very expensive night,” Patton said.
“That’s $26,000 that birthday party is costing them. That’s a heck of a birthday party to recall and they’ll remember that one for a long time.”
The fried chicken farce was among the 60 infringement notices issued to Melburnians since the new restrictions came in on Thursday.
Another four fines were given to sex workers while they were on a break from work, following police concern that “a large amount of men” were going in and out of an address.
Patton said most Victorians were doing the right thing, but he reminded them that every police vehicle was involved in Covid-19 enforcement.
Police had conducted almost 1,000 spot checks on people at homes, business and public places across the state in the past 24 hours, he said.
More than 5,000 vehicles were checked from 3pm on Thursday to 7am on Friday.
One couple from Docklands were attempting to visit their holiday house on Phillip Island at 1.30am when they were turned away at a vehicle checkpoint.
The couple were given a warning, but then attempted to leave the locked-down area through a second vehicle checkpoint, leading to a fine for the driver.
The premier, Daniel Andrews, warned that selfish behaviour could mean Melbourne was locked down for more than six weeks.
He appealed to Victorians to abide by the rules and stay at home to stabilise the daily coronavirus numbers.
“The four reasons are not an invitation to leave home, they are reasonable excuses,” he said.