A couple who escaped Victorian lockdown and brought COVID to the Sunshine Coast has been fined for allegedly giving false information to cross the Queensland border.
Detectives from Task Force Sierra Linnet issued a Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) to the 48-year-old man and 44-year-old woman for allegedly lying on their Queensland border declarations.
They have each been fined for failing to comply with COVID-19 Border Direction – CHO Untrue Info ($4,003).
Police will allege the duo travelled into Queensland on June 5, via Goondiwindi, after having been in Victoria which was a declared hotspot and deliberately provided false information to obtain a Queensland Border Declaration Pass ‘G’ pass.
Police were alerted to the pair on June 9, after the woman tested positive for COVID-19 on the Sunshine Coast after the couple had traipsed across the Caloundra visiting a string of cafes, shops and Bunnings.
The man subsequently tested positive the following day (June 10).
They were staying with the woman’s parents in Caloundra and had travelled through two states and numerous towns on their road trip from Victoria, through NSW and Queensland.
The Melbourne couple’s arrival sparked a testing frenzy and outrage as numerous locations in Caloundra and Kawana were declared exposure sites.
The duo has remained in hospital undergoing treatment for COVID-19 and were released by Queensland Health on Friday and interviewed by police the same morning.
A spokesperson said the Queensland Police Service was committed to ensuring everyone complies with public health directions and will continue to enforce restrictions at the border.
The Queensland Border Declaration Pass can be accessed at www.qld.gov.au/border-pass
