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Revealed:soaringtollof28,000convictionsforCovidbreachesMaeveMcClenaghanMorethan28,000peopleinEnglandandWaleshavebeenconvictedofbreachesofCovid-19regulationsdespitethegovernment’sinsistencethatitneverintendedtocriminalisepeopleforminorinfractionsduringthepandemic.TheconvictionsareforCovid-relatedoffences,suchasattendanceatgatheringsduringlockdownsorarrivingatairportswithouttheproperevidenceofacoronavirustest.Almost16,000oftheconvictions–or55%–involvedpeopleunder30.Thefigures,whichwereobtainedbytheGuardianthroughanalysisofdatafromtheMinistryofJustice,areconsiderablyhigherthananypreviousestimate.Twoyearsafterrestrictionswerelifted,magistratesarecont...