Victorian woman fined $4,003 after she was found hiding in freight truck at Queensland border

Victoria recorded six new cases of coronavirus and no deaths, with concerns mounting about an outbreak in a town in the state's regions.

A Victorian woman has been found hiding in a freight truck in an alleged bid to cross Queensland's southern border.

A Victorian woman has been found hiding in a freight truck in an alleged bid to cross Queensland's southern border. Source: Queensland Police/Twitter

A Victorian woman has been found hiding in a freight truck in an alleged bid to cross Queensland's southern border.

Police stopped the prime mover on Dumaresq Crossing Road at Texas late on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old woman was hiding behind the driver's seat.

She and a 61-year-old man who was driving the truck were each issued with a $4,003 infringement for failing to comply with the Queensland Border Direction.

They were also denied entry to Queensland.
Police stopped more than 180 heavy vehicles for COVID-19 health restriction compliance checks at three sites along the border.

Officers also conducted heavy vehicle road safety patrols, including roadside breath and drug testing.

Three drivers returned a positive drug test.

The traffic operation will run for several weeks and follows an investigation in Mackay last week where 16

Victorian carnival operators were found to be travelling around Queensland in breach of heath directions. Each was fined $4,003.

It comes as Victoria recorded six new cases of coronavirus and no deaths, with concerns mounting about an outbreak in a town in the state's regions.

The new cases, confirmed by the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday, bring Melbourne's 14-day rolling average to 8.9. 

The figures also show there were 15 mystery cases reported in Melbourne in the fortnight to 12 October.

The city needs a 14-day average of five cases, and no more than five mystery cases during the same period, to further ease restrictions on 19 October.
Thursday's figures also show regional Victoria's 14-day rolling case average to be sitting at 0.6 and there were no mystery cases in the fortnight to 12 October.

It comes as residents of Shepparton lined up for hours to be tested after a new COVID-19 outbreak was sparked by a truck driver who didn't tell contact tracers he had been there.

The man, who was infected as part of the Chadstone Shopping Centre outbreak, visited both Kilmore and Shepparton, north of Melbourne, while infectious on 30 September.

The truckie, who had a worker's permit, admitted to illegally dining at a Kilmore cafe but only told contact tracers he stopped in Shepparton after three people in the town tested positive on Tuesday.

Testing surge

On Thursday Premier Daniel Andrews said 1,862 people had been tested in the community on Wednesday, up from an average of 60 people per day before the outbreak.

He thanked people for coming forward for testing but warned it was a time-consuming process.

"It has to be done safely. It is not like queueing for anything else. You have got to be distanced," Mr Andrews said. "It takes time but it is critical."

Authorities were expecting a further 2,000 people to be tested in the region on Thursday while more than 400 people were isolating "because of one person", Mr Andrews said, a reminder of how fast COVID-19 can spread.

"The number of people that can be caught up in different chains of transmission with even just one common element is many, many hundreds of people.

"That, I think, is just a very important reminder to all of us just how - if we needed reminded - just how quickly this can spread."

Mr Andrews on Wednesday said the Department of Health and Human Services compliance unit was examining the matter and could make a referral to police.
Nine Australian Defence Force members will be on the ground in Shepparton on Thursday, along with Ballarat's rapid response team.

The three people who tested positive in the town worked at Central Tyre Service on Welsford Street between 30 September and Tuesday.

Another five spots are also considered high-risk sites, with a further four listed as locations of concern.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton had "no doubt" the Shepparton community would get on top of the outbreak but local MP Suzanna Sheed said the town was behind the eight ball.

Victoria snapped a six-day streak of double-digit daily infections, with seven new cases and five deaths on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a staff member who worked a night shift on 7 October at a Woolworths store in Melbourne's CBD was among Wednesday's seven cases.

The QV supermarket, on the corner of Lonsdale and Swanston Streets, is not listed as a high-risk location as DHHS says the case can be effectively contact traced.
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NSW  and five cases in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

Queensland reported one new case in a returning overseas traveller.

Australia's death toll now stands at 904.

People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction's restrictions on gathering limits.

If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.

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5 min read
Published 15 October 2020 6:14am
Updated 15 October 2020 7:25pm
Source: AAP, SBS



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