Police authorities in several Australian states have announced they will suspend static Random Breath Tests (RBT) due to the coronavirus.
There were concerns that officers and drivers would be exposed to the virus during RBT operations.
As a result, New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland police forces have revealed they will not be performing random checks on drivers' blood alcohol levels, with immediate effect and until further notice.
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NSW Police Association President Tony King told 7News: "With the devices in a stationary RBT set up, police could be testing 50, 60, 100 people over and over again.
"This is about keeping people safe."
Similarly, a statement from the Queensland Police Service (QPS) said: "The decision has been made to minimise health risks to QPS officers and the community.
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"Road safety continues to be a significant priority for the QPS. The QPS will continue to undertake random breath and drug testing through high visibility mobile patrols."
Roaming officers across the three affected states will still have the power to pull over anyone they deem to be a potential hazard and order them to submit to a breath test.
It's important to remember that drink-driving remains an offence - police have stressed that this is not a green light for people to do so.
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Meanwhile, the number of cases of Covid-19 in Australia has jumped to 401.
Victoria has recorded 21 new cases, taking the state total to 94.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned that this virus is expected to disrupt normal life for a while.
"This will be a difficult six months. It could be longer. It could be sooner than that," he told ABC radio.
The country has introduced new rules for people flying home from an international trip, with everyone now ordered to self-isolate at home for two weeks, regardless of their health status.
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"This is very important, what we've seen in recent weeks is more countries having issues with the virus and that means the source of some of those transmissions are coming from more and more countries," Mr Morrison said on Sunday (15 March).
"We know that the virus cannot be absolutely stopped - no one can do that - but we can slow the spread.
"And we anticipate that will be our task over the next six months."
States and territories around Australia have also introduced significant penalties for people who try and flout this directive.
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Mr Morrison added: "If your mate has been to Bali, and they come to work and sit next to you, they'll be committing an offence."
People in New South Wales will be fined up to $11,000 for not self-isolating, $13,000 in Queensland, $20,000 in Victoria, $25,000 in South Australia and a whopping $50,000 for Western Australia (WA). The penalty for corporations flouting that law is much higher.
Those who are caught can also face up to a year behind bars in WA and six months in NSW.
Featured Image Credit: Bidgee (Creative Commons)Topics: News, Coronavirus, Alcohol, Australia