Man flees COVID quarantine from Toowoomba hotel in ‘very serious action’

Hundreds have been turned back at Queensland’s border since the state cut off NSW and the ACT last Saturday. The figure comes after a dramatic day where a man ‘escaped’ quarantine sparking a major police search.

More than 800 people have now been turned back at Gold Coast border checkpoints since Queensland shut the border to NSW and the ACT last weekend.

Police refused entry to another 178 people at the five Coast checkpoints in the 24 hours to 4pm on Wednesday.

It came after 230 people were turned around on Tuesday and 254 on Monday.

A total of 804 people have now been turned back since the border closed at 1am last Saturday.

Only Tweed residents can cross into Queensland - and only as far north as the Gold Coast - as part of a ‘border bubble’ arrangement.

Gold Coast locals can also cross the border into NSW but are restricted to the NSW border bubble area.

The updated border figures comes after a man ‘escaped’ COVID quarantine in Toowoomba, sparking a massive police search.

Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski confirmed the man had subsequently surrendered himself and returned to quarantine. He will be retested.

Police Minister Mark Ryan earlier said officers would track down the man and he would be dealt with “very seriously”.

“Police are currently searching for a man who breached mandatory hotel quarantine in Toowoomba,” the Minister told parliament.

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“The 25-year-old man returned from a NSW hotspot and was directed to hotel quarantine for 14 days.

“Police will allege the man has left on his ninth day in quarantine.

“The man has, however, received a negative COVID test and is not considered to be a high risk to the community.”

He said it was a “very serious” action to breach quarantine and it would be dealt with seriously.

The man had previously been charged with attempting to get into Queensland unlawfully.

“We are very concerned about any quarantine failure in Queensland,” Dep Comm Gollschewski said.

“This is the first such incident that we have had.”

He said an independent inquiry was underway.

“A further investigation into potential breaches ... by members of the Broncos is currently underway,” he said.

“That investigation is not finalised.

“We are working with health on that.”

Meanwhile, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been asked why Broncos coach Anthony Siebold was allowed to quarantine at home after going to the COVID hotspot of Sydney.

“They have industry plans with the Chief Health Officer,” she told the House, before saying Health Minister Steven Miles would answer the question later.