A tip line for New York City residents to report social distancing violations has received 14,000 complaints since it was launched in late March.
According to The Wall Street Journal, calls to the 311 system have come from all five of the city's boroughs as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect Americans' daily lives. Records show that action was taken in more than 40% of the calls.
Five arrests have been made as a result of the calls and 21 summonses have been issued.
Social distancing complaints were most prevalent in and around stores and commercial spaces, according to the data.
Over the weekend, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to call the police if they witness social distancing violations. He increased the maximum fine for violators from $500 to $1,000.
"All you've got to do is take the photo and put the location with it, and, bang, send a photo like this and we will make sure that enforcement comes right away," de Blasio said in a Twitter video.
Social distancing rules have been enacted across the country in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Of the roughly 820,000 cases in the U.S., more than 256,000 have been in New York. The state also has seen around 20,000 deaths related to the illness.
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