Northern Territory Police will re-establish a control point on the Barkly Highway at the border with Queensland on June 10 following the discovery of two COVID-19 cases on the Sunshine Coast.
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Providing an additional layer of protection, police will continue with a hard border to Victoria, and monitor the South Australian border despite there currently being no cases in that state.
On the night on June 9, Northern Territory Police issued four travelers in their 60s with infringement notices for failing to lodge border entry forms.
Two vehicles registered in Victoria were captured on the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system crossing into the NT on June 9.
A/Commander Sachin Sharma said those fined were located in Timber Creek that afternoon.
"Investigations determined they had first entered the NT on May 30, and at that time, their home locations in Victoria were not declared hotspots," A/Commander Sharma said.
"They had not been at any exposure sites and were not subject to any quarantine rules. It must be made clear that these infringements have been issued for not lodging the required travel forms. Each traveler has been fined $5,056."
The same travelers had been picked up by Western Australia Police the day before and were issued infringements for failing to lodge the required travel forms for that state.
"It is the responsibility of the traveler to ensure they are aware of travel requirements for their destinations and to ensure they have lodged the necessary forms," A/Commander Sharma said.
"NT Police have deployed automatic number plate recognition systems and conduct compliance checks on a regular basis. It beggars belief that individuals have taken such a casual approach towards legal requirements imposed by the NT Chief Health Officer.
"NT Police along with our partner agencies will continue to take all reasonable steps to ensure compliance in an effort to safeguard the Territory.
"I encourage our community members to report any possible breach to Police on 131 444 or report online at pfes.nt.gov.au/reportonline."
The penalty for failing to abide by the Chief Health Officer Directions issued under section 56 of the Public and Environment Health Act 2011 is $5,056 for an individual and $25,280 for a business.
Quarantine, testing directions for QLD
The Chief Health Officer has declared quarantine and testing directions for people who have been to a COVID-19 case location in Queensland, effective immediately.
The CHO is directing any person who has arrived in the Northern Territory since June 5, 2021 or who will arrive in the Northern Territory and has been to a Queensland COVID-19 public exposure site at the dates and times to do as follows:
- Any person defined as a 'close contact' by Queensland health authorities must immediately get tested and undertake 14 days of quarantine in their home or at a suitable place. They must remain in quarantine (unless to get tested) until noon of the 14th day after they were in a Queensland COVID-19 case location, regardless of whether they return a negative COVID-19 test.
- Any person identified as a 'casual contact' by Queensland health authorities must isolate, get a COVID-19 test and remain in self-quarantine until a negative test is returned.
- Any person who this Direction applies to must check the Queensland Health COVID-19 case locations website at least once per day to make sure they comply if a place they have been to becomes a COVID-19 case location.
Queensland public exposure sites can be found here.
CHO quarantine and testing directions for people who have been to a COVID-19 public exposure site in New South Wales remain in place.
New South Wales COVID-19 public exposure sites can be found here.
To arrange a COVID test, please book online or contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 484.
Regional Victoria hotspot for travel purposes revoked
The Chief Health Officer has revoked regional Victoria as a hotspot for the purposes of travel, effective from 6pm on June 8, 2021, however Greater Melbourne remains a hotspot.
A list of areas that remain declared hotspots for the purposes of travel can be found here.
New measures implemented
The Chief Health Officer requires anyone who enters to the Northern Territory that has left quarantine in another state or Territory, to get a COVID-19 test on Day 17 after their quarantine period commenced.
This is one of the measures included in the updated CHO Directions for Territory Border Restrictions, which came into effect on June 5, 2021 at 12:01am.
As part of these extra protections, a person must now also declare on their NT Border Entry Form if they have been in quarantine in another jurisdiction in the 28 days prior to entering the Territory.
Quarantine directions for NSW travelers
The CHO is directing any person who has arrived in the Northern Territory since May 23, 2021, or who will arrive in the Northern Territory and has been to a NSW COVID-19 case location at the dates and times specified to:
- Any person defined as a 'close contact' by NSW health authorities must immediately get tested and undertake 14 days of quarantine in their home or at a suitable place. They must remain in quarantine (unless to get tested) until noon of the 14th day after they were in a NSW COVID-19 case location, regardless of whether they return a negative COVID-19 test.
- Any person identified as a 'casual contact' by NSW health authorities must isolate, get a COVID-19 test and remain in self-quarantine until a negative is returned.
- Any person who has arrived, or who will arrive in the Northern Territory and has been in New South Wales since 23 May 2021 must check the NSW Health COVID-19 case locations website at least once per day and comply with these directions if a place they have been to becomes a COVID-19 case location.
New South Wales COVID-19 case locations can be found here.
Follow health regulations
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms, do not travel.
- Make sure you get tested and stay at home, maintain a physical distance of 1.5m at all times.
- Wash your hands with soap and water and use hand sanitiser regularly.
- Cough and sneeze into your elbow or a tissue. Put your tissue in the bin straight away.
- Do not go to work if you feel sick.
- If you have symptoms, stay away from others and call a doctor or the NT COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 484
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