Byron Bay lockdown: Kristian Radovanovic, 19, charged with Covid-19 breaches
Police have now charged the son of the man who allegedly travelled from Covid-stricken Sydney to Byron Bay, sparking the shock lockdown of the shire and three more council areas.
Coronavirus
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus. Followed categories will be added to My News.
POLICE have now charged the son of the man who allegedly travelled from Covid-stricken Sydney to Byron Bay, sparking the shock lockdown of the shire and three more council areas.
It’s alleged Kristian Radovanovic, 19, travelled with Zoran Radovanovic, 52, to the region.
Tweed Byron Police launched an investigation after receiving reports Rose Bay’s Zoran Radovanovic, 52, and “family members” had travelled to Byron and surrounds in late July, a New South Wales Police statement read.
The 52-year-old faces seven charges relating to his alleged trip north and is due to face Lismore Local Court on September 13.
Now, police have issued Rose Bay’s Kristian Radovanovic with a Court Attendance Notice for four offences after “extensive inquiries”.
He’s facing two counts of fail to comply with electronic registration directive (individual) and one count each of not wearing a face mask in public transport/a taxi and failing to comply with a Covid-19 direction.
“Police will allege the 19-year-old Rose Bay man travelled from Sydney to the Byron Bay area in company of the 52-year-old Rose Bay man,” the police statement read.
The 19-year-old is due to face Byron Bay Local Court on September 27.
Police inquiries were ongoing on Friday morning.
Anyone who has information about individuals or businesses contravening a Covid-19 ministerial direction has been urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
On Monday, NSW Health announced a seven-day lockdown for the Byron, Ballina, Lismore and Richmond Valley council areas.
Byron lockdown: Sydney man charged with breaching health orders
August 11: NSW Police have now charged a Sydney father-of-two who allegedly sparked a lockdown in Byron Bay and three more local government areas with breaching public health orders.
Police believe Zoran Radovanovic, 52, and his two teenage children travelled to Byron and surrounding local government areas from their Rose Bay home in late July.
Radovanovic has been receiving treatment for Covid-19 in Lismore Base Hospital.
NSW Police issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon and said the man had been served with a Future Court Attendance Notice.
“Following inquiries, including appeals for public assistance, the 52-year-old man from Rose Bay will be charged after he allegedly travelled from Sydney to Byron Bay and the surrounding area, without a reasonable excuse and in contravention of the public health orders,” the statement read.
“The Future Court Attendance Notice will be served on the man at the Lismore Base Hospital with strict bail conditions.”
Radovanovic was charged with three counts of not complying with a Covid-19 direction and four counts of failing to comply with an electronic registration directive
He was due to face Lismore Local Court on September 13.
Police inquiries were ongoing on Wednesday afternoon.
Byron, Ballina, Lismore and Richmond Valley council areas have been in lockdown after Radovanovic’s alleged offending was aired by the NSW Government on Monday.
Anyone who has information about persons or businesses contravening Covid-19 directions has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Byron nurse claims there’s ‘no beds’ to treat Covid patients
August 10: A Byron Shire emergency nurse has urged residents to treat the threat of contracting Covid as serious, claiming there’s no room to treat positive patients locally.
The woman posted the warning on social media in relation to a Sydney man in his 50s who sparked a lockdown after he visited several northern NSW towns while infected with Covid.
Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina began a seven-day lockdown from 6pm on Monday.
She said Byron Central Hospital had no available beds in the intensive care unit and all patients who tested positive to the virus would be transferred to Lismore Base Hospital.
However, she said as of Monday, Lismore Base Hospital was also at capacity.
“Byron has no ICU beds and will divert Covid positive cases to Lismore which was today in complete bed lock – as in no beds available in the entire hospital,” she said.
“All hospitals are currently understaffed and we’re stretched to our limits. Would be ideal for all residents to treat this as serious and limit their exposure.
“Please don’t put health staff and vulnerable members of our community at any more risk.”
It comes after a pharmacy in Nimbin was forced to close on Tuesday so its staff could be tested for Covid.
In a Facebook post to customers, Nimbin Village Pharmacy said as a result of contact tracing, they were forced to close but expected to reopen on Wednesday.
“We expect to be open again tomorrow once test results are returned. Maintaining the health of the community is our priority.
“We just want to make sure we can move forward uninterrupted so we made the call to get tested ASAP so we can get back in there ASAP.”
The Northern NSW Local Health District has been contacted for comment.
Byron case: ‘When you just don’t give a s--t, that’s next level’
Southern Cross University has shut down a northern New South Wales campus after a man allegedly travelled to the region from virus-stricken Sydney, sparking a snap lockdown.
The university closed the doors of its Lismore campus when the seven-day lockdown in Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina Shire Local Government Areas began on Monday at 6pm.
The council areas are now subject to the same stay-at-home orders as Greater Sydney and other areas of NSW impacted by the coronavirus.
It’s due to continue until 12.01am on August 17 and applies to anyone who has been in the areas on or since July 31.
Additionally, NSW Health advises no one can enter Ballina, Byron, Lismore or Richmond Valley without a reasonable excuse.
Initially, as authorities scrambled to find out more information, speculation was rife the man had also visited the Gold Coast, but that does not appear to have occurred.
Southern Cross University’s Vice President (operations) Allan Morris announced the sudden closure of the campus in a statement.
“Thank you for your flexibility as we respond to this situation,” he said.
The only exceptions to the closure are the SCU Health Clinic GPs and Private Practitioners and the SCU Child Care Centre, which the university stated “will remain operating in order to deliver necessary services to the community (including our students and staff)”.
SCU Health Clinic student clinics have been cancelled due to the lockdown.
Buildings and services at the campus will be locked to students and staff.
The university urged anyone with Covid-19 symptoms to get tested immediately.
Northern NSW Local Health District urged the community to comply with the new virus restrictions.
“We understand this is a difficult time for the community and appreciate their ongoing patience and co-operation,” a statement read.
“We are asking people not to seek exceptions to the rules, but to ensure they comply with them so we do not see further cases of COVID-19 in the community.”
Meanwhile, it’s been revealed the man accused of throwing much of northern NSW into lockdown, who was travelling with his two children while infectious.
He has been receiving treatment in Lismore Base Hospital.
‘Only a matter of time’: Desperate plea to save Tweed from Covid surge
August 9: A Tweed councillor has urged Gladys Berejiklian to enforce a “ring of steel” around Greater Sydney to protect regional NSW from the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.
Tweed Shire councillor James Owen said it was a matter of time before the shire experienced an outbreak and wanted to stop Greater Sydney residents from travelling to the area.
It comes after a Sydney man infected with Covid-19 allegedly travelled from the Gold Coast to Byron Bay and various other Northern NSW towns.
Mr Owen said Victoria’s “ring of steel” model that separated lockdown Melbourne from the rest of the state needed to be urgently enforced.
“ … the Northern Rivers is on high alert after a man who travelled from Sydney tested positive to Covid overnight and was admitted to Lismore Base Hospital,” Mr Owen said.
“He was infectious in the community prior to his hospitalisation. I am worried that it’s only a matter of time before an outbreak occurs here in the Tweed Shire, unless decisive action is taken to stop the spread.
“We don’t want people from Greater Sydney travelling to rural and regional NSW. Nothing would be more devastating and catastrophic to our personal lives, our local businesses, our local economy and our local health system, than a Covid outbreak and subsequent lockdown.
“A ‘ring of steel’ will also assist to preserve our current ‘border bubble’ with Queensland and maintain our important interconnectedness with the Gold Coast and South East Queensland.
“I urge Premier Berejiklian and Minister Hazzard to act on this now before it’s too late.”
Northern NSW Local Health District on Monday confirmed the source of his infection and venues visited were being investigating.
A spokeswoman said the man in his 50s was being treated at Lismore Base Hospital and was in a stable condition.
Fears man with Covid-19 travelled from Gold Coast to Byron
August 9: Queensland and New South Wales health authorities are investigating after a man infected with Covid-19 reportedly travelled from the Gold Coast over the border to Byron Bay and to various other towns.
It comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has threatened to implement a ring of steel along the Queensland-NSW border as the coronavirus crisis worsens in the southern state.
Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young responded to questions about the situation at a press conference at Brisbane on Monday morning.
A reporter asked: “Are you aware of a positive case that’s travelled from Gold Coast to Lismore and has been infectious in the Byron Bay community for five days?”
Dr Young said she was “just starting to hear some issues around that” and more information was being sought from NSW authorities.
MORE NEWS
Tom Tate wants M1 checkpoint between Brisbane and Gold Coast
Man suffers chest, arm injuries after jetskis collide head-on at Jacobs Well on Gold Coast
Later, Dr Young was asked about the situation again: “Dr Young, have you heard about this Byron Bay case – they left from the Gold Coast?”
She provided more information about the situation.
“Yes, so their chief health officer rang me very early this morning,” Dr Young said.
“They’re interviewing the case at the moment to find out where he has been and they’re sending the specimen up to us so we can do the whole genome sequencing on it.
“So hopefully if their specimen gets to us today we should have a result sometime tomorrow (Tuesday).”
In a press conference soon after, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said a man in his 50s tested positive to the virus in Byron.
It’s been reported a Covid-positive person spent the last five days in Byron after travelling from the Gold Coast, and that he visited locations in Ballina, Casino and Lismore.
It was also reported the patient was in Lismore Base Hospital and contact tracing was underway.
Byron Shire Council has taken to social media to notify the public.
“NSW Health says they have been notified of a case overnight – a man in his 50s in the Byron area,” a post read.
“Investigations are underway into the source of his infection and venues he may have visited in the area.
“As a precaution everybody who is in the following local government areas should immediately isolate and have a COVID-19 test if they have even the mildest of symptoms: Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Tweed, Lismore, Kyogle and Ballina.”
Richmond MP Justine Elliot also raised the alarm on social media and said she was awaiting more information.
“According to NSW Health, a Covid-positive person has spent the last five days in our area.
It is believed that they travelled from Sydney, and visited places in Ballina, Byron Bay, Lismore and Casino,” she wrote.
“The patient was apparently admitted to Lismore Base Hospital yesterday (Sunday), with contact tracing under way from this morning.
“No contact tracing details are currently available as we are waiting for further details from the NSW Government.”
More Coverage
What are the symptoms? What are the rules? New Covid strain explained
The Covid threat that emerged before Christmas doesn’t appear to be going anywhere in Queensland. ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Read more
‘Unacceptable’: Tens of thousands of drivers dodge RBT
There’s been an astounding drop in the number of Gold Coast drivers being breath tested over the past five years. HOW THEY ESCAPED AN RBT
Read more