Men bogged while 'trying to sneak across Victoria-SA border'
Two men were allegedly caught illegally entering South Australia from Victoria.
South Australia police said the pair tried to cross into the state in a Volkswagen van, but were stopped by Limestone Coast officers at a checkpoint on the Dukes Highway at Bordertown, about 270km southeast of Adelaide, about 4am (local time) on Thursday.
“Both occupants had failed to complete the online application and were deemed to be non-essential travellers. They were advised if they wished to enter South Australia they would need to self-isolate for a period of 14 days,” police said in a statement.
“Police will allege the pair opted to return to Victoria.”
About 12 hours later, Bordertown police came across the same van bogged on a dirt road near Pinehill Road at Senior, just outside of Bordertown, and the two men.
“Police will allege the pair had briefly returned to Victoria before re-entering South Australia bypassing the border checkpoint and travelling along back roads towards Bordertown.
A 23-year-old man, from Tarneit in Melbourne’s west, and an 18-year-old man, from the northwest Melbourne suburb of Delahey, were each slapped with $1060 fine for “failing to comply with a direction under the Emergency Management Act 2004”.
The pair were asked if they wished to self-isolate for 14 days or return to Victoria.
“They wisely chose the latter option and were escorted back over the border,” police said.
Police are “actively” patrolling the border to stop anyone from entering South Australia illegally and warned anyone who is caught doing so will face penalties.
Fears of a second wave of coronavirus in Australia were further heightened on Friday as Victoria recorded 66 new cases and it emerged a super spreader could be behind the outbreaks that have gripped the state.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said she found out the origins of the outbreaks could be linked back to one person after she sought an explanation for the surge in cases.
“On Tuesday, I received a briefing of a genomic sequencing report that seemed to suggest that there seems to be a single source of infection for many of the cases that have gone across the northern and western suburbs of Melbourne,” she revealed.
“It appears to be even potentially a super spreader that has caused this upsurge in cases. We don't have the full picture yet ... not all of these cases have yet been subject to genomic sequencing.”
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