SA slams border shut with Victoria after two teen hitchhikers caused Covid-19 scare

A state has moved to close its border with Victoria after two hitchhiking teenagers hopped on a school bus, causing a major Covid-19 scare.

South Australia will completely shut its border with all of Victoria after two teenagers hitchhiked their way into the state to see a friend before the lockdown came into effect.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, who is also the State Coordinator, made the announcement on Friday afternoon and said he would sign a new declaration later in the day.

Under the new directions, border residents within 70km will still be allowed to enter.

The state had earlier this week only closed its border with Greater Melbourne.

The stricter border rules were announced after it was discovered two Victorian girls who had been reported missing since Monday crossed the border into SA overnight to visit a friend.

But SA’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said the border decision had nothing to do with the incident.

Instead, she said the decision was made to better support the stay-at-home directions currently in place in Victoria.

She also noted that wastewater testing resources were currently focused on Melbourne, so testing in regional areas closer to the border had been reduced.

“These are very young people that are still children. People that age make all sorts of decisions and undertake all sorts of things that adults may not agree with or approve of,” Professor Spurrier said.

“They've had their testing done and are negative. That means that anybody they’ve been in contact with are at no risk.”

SA Police at the border checkpoint between South Australia and Victoria near Mt Gambier. Picture Frank Monger

The two teens managed to meet a third person in the town Goolwa, about 82km south of Adelaide, and boarded a school bus that was travelling to the Victor Harbor High School with students on board.

SA Police said the bus was stopped en route to the school.

“Police are working with other agencies including SA Health, Victoria Police and Victor Harbor High School to ensure the safety of those on board,” a police spokesman said in a statement.

“The two teenage girls have been isolated and are co-operating with police.”

Commissioner Stevens said the two young girls were arrested for breaching the Emergency Management Act and police were making arrangements to return them to their families in Victoria at their families’ expense.

He said investigations were underway to determine how they managed to cross the border.

“My advice is they came across the SA border and provided false information at that time,” Commissioner Stevens said.

“We are operating at a heightened sense of concern.

“We've put steps in place to prohibit travel into South Australia and this type of activity has the potential to undermine all of the efforts we’re putting in to protect SA from Covid-19.”

Anyone who believes they gave the two girls a lift from the Victorian border to Goolwa are being urged to isolate immediately and contact SA Health on the Covid hotline on 1800 253 787.

The school bus had students from the Victor Harbour High School on board. Picture: Google Maps

Victor Harbor High School deputy principal Adrienne Conley issued a statement on social media about 11am on Friday to inform parents of the situation.

“This morning South Australian police stopped a school bus with some of our students on it in relation to a possible breach of COVID-19 restrictions,” she said.

“At this stage we are awaiting further advice from SAPOL and health authorities on what we need to do.”

A second statement was issued half an hour later that said all families whose children were on the bus had been contacted.

“Their children are in the process of being taken home until further health advice is provided,” the statement said.

Ms Conley later thanked the school cohort and wider school community for the way the event was handled.

“Your calm and supportive approach, combined with quick response from SAPOL and SA Health enabled this situation to be managed with limited disruption to the majority of our school community.”

Under the new directions, anyone who entered SA from regional Victoria as of 7pm on Wednesday must comply with the level three restrictions.

This means they must be tested on days one, five and 13, need to isolate until they get their first negative test and cannot attend events with a Covid Management Plan, like the AFL at Adelaide Oval.

Victoria was plunged into a seven-day lockdown at midnight in a bid to contain its most recent outbreak, which began after a Melbourne man contracted the virus in a SA medi-hotel.