- Police have charged a 34-year-old Victorian man, accused of trying to enter NSW without a valid permit
- The incident yesterday was the first arrest since Victoria imposed a border restriction with NSW, to stop the growing spread of the coronavirus
- Around 125,000 border permits have already been issued, with 50,000 people crossing the borders yesterday, July 8
- While, NSW has recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, with two cases linked to people living in the border town of Albury
- Meantime, Queensland is the latest state refusing entry to Victorian residents
A 34-year-old Victorian man has become the first person to be caught out allegedly trying to cross the Victorian-NSW border without permission.
The man was arrested and questioned by police yesterday, for trying to enter NSW without a valid permit. He’s now been charged and is due in court today.
Victoria and NSW closed their borders for the first time in more than a century this week, as Melbourne grapples with a huge wave of new COVID-19 infections.
134 new cases of the virus were recorded in the state yesterday, and 191 on Tuesday.
NSW also recorded 11 new cases of the virus in the last 24 hours, with two of those Albury residents, an area which borders Victoria.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is again refusing to rule out locking down border towns.
“As I said yesterday, we are monitoring the situation daily and I don’t want anyone to feel they’ve been caught off guard if we happen to need to change something in the next few days and weeks, because it’s still a possibility and I want to make that very clear,” she said.
NSW has already issued around 125,000 border permits, while an estimated 50,000 people crossed the border yesterday, July 8.
Meanwhile, Queensland has followed South Australia’s move in banning all Victorians from coming to their state, even if they quarantine for two weeks.
Along with the ban, Queensland and NSW have announced they’re considering asking international travellers who return to their states to pay for their hotel quarantine.
The idea has also been raised by WA authorities and will be discussed at a meeting of state, territory and federal leaders tomorrow.