Coronavirus: 3 Qld men to face court for allegedly lying to get past border

The men, travelling from Melbourne, allegedly lied to authorities to get back into their home state.

Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Annette Dew

Three men from Logan in south-east Queensland will face court after allegedly travelling from Melbourne and lying to get back into their home state.

Queensland Police will allege the men drove into Queensland on the M1 at Coolangatta on Sunday with false border declarations, after having spent several weeks in Melbourne.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the behaviour was unacceptable.

“They were detained by police overnight and immediately placed into hotel quarantine,” police said. “A 29-year-old Slacks Creek man, a 23-year-old Waterford man and a 25-year-old man from Loganlea have all been issued with notices to appear in court for failing to comply with the COVID-19 Queensland Border Direction.

“Queensland’s border restrictions mean people who have been in a COVID-19 hotspot within the last 14 days will be turned away at the state’s border.

“Queensland residents who have been in a COVID-19 hotspot can return home but will be required to quarantine in government provided accommodation at their expense.

“Since July 3, anyone entering Queensland is required to complete a border declaration pass which is valid for seven days or until the person’s circumstances change.”

The Logan men have been tested for coronavirus and the results are outstanding.

Queensland has recorded no new coronavirus cases overnight, and has 12 active cases, seven are in hospital.

Nearly 10,000 Queenslanders have been tested over the past 24 hours.

Separately, Queensland’s Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has been asked to investigate the case of a man who entered Queensland from overseas without having to quarantine, because he was ostensibly a consular official.

He has since tested positive for coronavirus.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said the man wasn’t a consular official, and instead was a private security contractor working for the government in Afghanistan.

But Ms Palaszczuk said the Queensland government had been provided with a letter from DFAT with a “diplomatic passport” for the man, and the exemption was granted on that basis.

She said all the material had been passed to Queensland Police for investigation, but said she wanted the loophole for diplomatic staff closed.

“There is a loophole here, and it needs to be closed,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

The Premier said she would raise the issue at national cabinet on Friday.

Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski earlier said the three Logan men had also appeared to illegally pass through the NSW-VIC border.

He said they were intercepted in Brisbane on Sunday, when one man got tested for coronavirus.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said people in Logan were already aware there was a “high risk situation” in the region because of three young women from Logan who had allegedly lied to get back into Queensland after visiting Melbourne. Two of the three women have since tested COVID-19 positive.

Separately, Ms Palaszczuk clarified that the man who entered Australia without quarantining due to consular reasons, had an exemption granted by the NSW government.

“This is about keeping Australians safe, keeping Queenslanders safe,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“If there is any suggestion that is not an authentic letter (from DFAT), that needs to be investigated by the police.”

On the consular case, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said she had granted the man a further exemption to quarantine at home in Queensland, after receiving a letter from Australia’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the NSW government.

This had happened before he travelled back to Australia, she said.

Dr Young said the loophole should be closed to require all people – except potentially those with serious medical conditions, such as spinal injuries, requiring a carer – to quarantine at their port of entry.

In this case, the man was allowed to fly on a domestic Jetstar flight from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast. Dr Young said health authorities were still trying to contact 14 people on that flight – with two passengers a mystery, because people are not required to give their contact details for domestic flights.