Residents from 27 suburbs within the Fairfield local government area were officially banned from entering Queensland from 1:00am Monday 27 July 2020. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Friday, that Fairfield had been added to the list of Sydney hot spots after advice from Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young.
Anyone travelling from Fairfield who had been there in the previous 14 days will be directed to hotel quarantine at their own expense or will be turned away at the state’s border. New South Wales local government areas of Liverpool or Campbelltown as well as the whole state of Victoria remain active COVID-19 hotspots.
The recent announcement of Fairfield being added to the list of Sydney hot spots, led to lengthy traffic jams at Gold Coast border checkpoints. Some delays were estimated to be up to two hours as police pulled over and checked every vehicle to ensure that travellers were not from hot spots. Police are bracing themselves for more congestion in the likely event that more hot spots will be declared this week.
About 96,000 people have entered the state since July 10, with 2,200 turned back at borders. Thirty-seven people were refused entry at the Gold Coast border checkpoints in the 24 hours to 4:00pm on Sunday. It brought the number of turn backs to more than 600 since the border reopened on July 10.
Anyone entering Queensland is required to complete a border declaration pass
BORDER PASS DECLARATION AND UNDERTAKING
Since July 3, any person entering Queensland including residents must complete a Queensland Border Declaration Pass online before entering the state. Police will continue to conduct random interceptions of those progressing through priority passage to ensure the validity of declarations.
The declaration will include an undertaking that the person will have a COVID-19 test if they develop symptoms whilst in Queensland.
The only exceptions to completing border pass and undertaking requirements are maritime crew arriving in Queensland who are not disembarking their vessel, and any person providing an essential activity related to national and state security, such as police, health or emergency services, who enters Queensland during the course of an emergency, e.g. an ambulance transporting a patient with a life-threatening condition.
QUARANTINE
In Queensland, a person is required to quarantine if they fall within paragraph 13 of the Border Restrictions Directions (No.8):
- A person who enters Queensland must quarantine if in the 14 days prior to entering Queensland:
- the person has been overseas; or
- the person has had contact with a person who is a confirmed case of COVID-19; or
- the person has been in a COVID-19 hotspot and is permitted to enter under Part 2; or
- the person has been a cleared case of COVID-19; or
- the person has had symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES
Strengthened enforcement will be present at Queensland borders, including screening of Queensland Border Declaration Passes and identification. All flights will be checked, road vehicle borders will be enforced, and police will enforce quarantine.
All persons entering Queensland must complete and sign a border declaration stating whether they have been overseas, been in a COVID-19 hotspot, had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case or had symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
There are also increased penalties for providing false or misleading information. If you breach any of the requirements under the Borders Direction, you may be subject to enforcement, including an on the spot fine of $1334 or a or a court-imposed penalty of up to $13,345.
If you provide false, misleading or incorrect information on a Queensland Border Declaration it is an offence punishable by a fine of $4004 or a court imposed penalty of up to $13,345.
A RECENT BREACH BY A NEW SOUTH WALES RESIDENT
Around 11:00am July 8, officers at the Griffith Street border control check point intercepted a bus and spoke with a 43-year-old male passenger to verify his border pass. His declaration indicated he was travelling from New South Wales to Queensland for essential medical treatment.
Police will allege the Sydney man was in possession of false identification, did not require medical treatment and had completed the border declaration fraudulently.
The man was refused entry to Queensland and issued with an infringement of $4,003 for failing to comply with the COVID-19 Border Direction.
CONCLUSION
The intent of this blog is to provide some clarity surrounding the constantly evolving regulations in relation to COVID-19. In particular, the restrictions on New South Wales residents travelling to Queensland that are arising as Sydney announces COVID-19 hotspots. The team at National Criminal Lawyers™ hoped you found this article informative. If you have any specific topics you would like us to discuss in the future, we encourage you to let us know.