Coronavirus updates: RAAF officer caught in late-night meeting
An RAAF officer and a woman have been fined after she was busted in the quarantined soldier’s hotel room. It comes as Victoria marked a landmark day with zero deaths, and South Australia confirmed it won’t open its border to NSW today.
Police & Courts
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A woman has been caught coming out of a Sydney hotel room where she snuck into to see a RAAF officer in quarantine after returning from overseas.
The pair, who were unknown to each other, are believed to have become acquainted by seeing each other through windows and then used phones to communicate.
Australian Defence Force officers who were in charge of secuirty at Pier One Hotel in Walsh Bay became suspicious when they heard a female voice in coming from a room where the 26 -year-old male was in quarantine.
When the woman, 53, was leaving the room at 12.45am this morning they stopped her and questioned her before contacting NSW police.
The woman was a guest at the hotel and had snuck into the quarantine area reserved for returning Australian defence personal. After the ADF officers conducted inquiries, the woman was escorted from the hotel’s quarantine area and police were contacted.
Officers from Sydney City Police Area Command attended the hotel, which is managed by the ADF, before speaking with the pair and issued them with $1000 Penalty Infringement Notices.
The woman was directed to check-out immediately and attend a COVID testing facility before self-isolating at her Hornsby home.
The man remains in hotel quarantine and the ADF are conducting further investigations.
NSW STILL BEING WARNED TO STAY VIGILANT
Declining COVID-19 testing rates have sparked a warning to NSW residents that the state is still at a “critical time” in its battle against the virus.
Ahead of the NSW school holidays, authorities are pushing to get testing back up around 20,000 a day after rates fell over the past two weeks.
“People moving around, different communities mixing, is the highest risk to the spread of the virus,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said today.
Health authorities say the virus is likely circulating among people in the community with mild symptoms and the risk of outbreaks and a resurgence of cases remains.
In the 24 hours to 8pm last night, there were 8835 tests compared with 9316 the previous day.
“This is a critical time for us. As we see cases numbers decline, it’s important we don’t have complacency,” NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant warned.
“It is critical before we become more active and mobile ahead of the school holidays that we drive down those community transmission numbers to their lowest possible level,” she said.
Dr Chant said health authorities were particularly concerned about southwest and western Sydney because of “relatively lower testing rates” compared to other areas.
“Also because we’ve seen some cases not linked to locally acquired cases pop up in those areas in the last six weeks,” she said.
NSW recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, of those, three were overseas travellers and one was from Victoria in hotel quarantine.
One new case was a contact of a case linked to Concord Hospital and one was a healthcare worker at Liverpool Hospital.
One case was locally acquired, a man in his 50s from southeast Sydney local health district. The source is still under investigation.
NSW Health also advised an additional case has been confirmed in a student of Blue Mountains Grammar school.
The school has closed while further tracing and cleaning is undertaken. This case will be included in tomorrow’s official numbers.
ONE PERSON CHARGED, ANOTHER ISSUED PIN
A MAN who allegedly spat and swore at police has been arrested and refused bail.
On Monday September 14, the 36-year-old allegedly approached officers outside a residence on Smith St, Yagoona and became aggressive.
He then allegedly spat and swore at police before resisting arrest.
He was charged with not complying with noticed direction, resisting or hindering a police officer in the execution of duty, using offensive language in or near a public place or school, and assault on a police officer in the execution of duty.
He is due to appear in Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday.
A 40-year-old Wodonga woman was also fined $1000 on Monday for breaching Public Health Orders.
She allegedly disobeyed conditions of her border zone resident permit by travelling to a hotel on Union Road, Lavington, and playing poker machines at about 11.45am.
SA BORDERS STAY SHUT TO NSW AND ACT
South Australia’s borders will not open to NSW and the ACT today, despite the state’s premier hinting at the possibility.
The Transition Committee met on Tuesday morning, however Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said there was no final decision made to reopen the borders.
“I’ve got a few other things I need to take on board in terms of advice,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to make a decision within the next day or two.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said it was time Australia was open for business, and that as long as the nation was closed, we “cannot claim success”.
On Monday Premier Steven Marshall said the Transition Committee would discuss the data around coronavirus cases in NSW and the ACT.
He said he would draw on expert advice before a decision was made.
LANDMARK DAY FOR VICTORIA
There have been no new COVID-19 deaths in Victoria and just 42 cases of the virus as health authorities declare the state is moving towards “COVID Normal”.
Victoria Health announced the new cases this morning and said the “14 day rolling average and number of cases with unknown source are down from yesterday.”
It comes as Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has branded an image depicting a pair of boots next to the hashtag #givedantheboot outside of his family farm as “low”.
“I know that farm well and those boots had been positioned … to make a point,” he said.
“I’m happy for people to make their points, provided they’re not doing anything to spread the coronavirus, but I’ll just say this — having different views to me, that’s fine.
“But the last time I was in that shed was when I carried my father’s coffin out of it, and I think that that is … just low and it has no place.
“Leave my family out of it, and particularly the dead members of my family.
“I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Shame, shame on him, shame.”
NSW POLICE CRACKDOWN ON SUMMER PARTIES
The spring weather has brought a cold warning from NSW Police who have vowed to punish “every person” who is found to be at a party which exceeds the 20-person limit.
Amendments have been made to the COVID-19 health orders in NSW, which took effect on Monday.
“Where previously, only the organiser of a gathering was liable to receive a fine if the number of people at the premises breached the Public Health Order, every person in attendance will now be held individually responsible for the breach,” NSW Police said in a statement.
On-the-spot fines of $1000 will apply to anyone found at an overprescribed house party or gathering and all existing restrictions remain in place.
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Police made the announcement yesterday, as NSW recorded just one new COVID-19 case from community transmission.
The new rules are intended to keep a lid on crowds and private parties over the Christmas-New Year period.
Assistant Commissioner Tony Crandell said “coming into the warmer months, and with end-of-year festivities around the corner, it’s only natural that people will have additional reasons to want to gather and get together”.
“These amendments aim to ensure that an increase in expected gatherings doesn’t mean an increase in COVID-19 cases.
“While the vast majority of people within NSW are doing their part, we will continue to target those who don’t.”
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Police also revealed yesterday a man was caught at Central Station in Sydney having twice been denied access to the state from Victoria.
The 26-year-old was caught by police when he walked into a restricted area without a ticket and was fined $1000.
Another man was stopped three times trying to enter NSW from Victoria over the weekend, once brandishing a permit allowing him only to enter by plane. He was also fined $1000.
A 20-year-old woman from Emerton, Western Sydney, was fined $1000 when police found she left her home while she was meant to be in self-isolation.
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