Sydney Removalists Breaches Covid Protocols
According to the Police, on Tuesday 20th of July, three removalists from Greater Sydney were removed for illegally breaching the border of North West Victoria.
The Mildura police allegedly caught the trio of removalists without the appropriate border paperwork.
This news arrived days after Mildura had already been caught up with its own Covid-19 scare after a local man tested positive for the virus after attending the Geelong-Carlton game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Key Points:
- The Health Minister of Victoria said removalists were removed from NSW. They were charged for illegally breaching the border during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- As per the police, these removalists only stopped at the house they were attending, nowhere else.
- However, Victoria does not plan on tightening the current restrictions because of this latest border breach.
The three men were reportedly between the age of 30-50, and it is not known if they were wearing masks.
After being caught, the movers were instantly tested for covid and forced to isolate themselves in their respective vehicles. Even though the men were tested negative, the Victorian authorities have struggled to trace their movements.
The police have said that the men did not stop anywhere in Victoria, except for the place they were delivering the furniture too – a house in Irymple.
The person who was moving into a private residence in Irymple has also been instructed to isolate.
The men have been fined and charged by the Victorian authorities. Later, the removalists were accompanied across the Murray River and eventually sent back to New South Wales.
Negligence is Costly
Australian Health Minister, Martin Foley, has commented on the issue by saying that the penalties that have been issued have shown the consequences of what would happen to people illegally trying to cross the border.
“Since we’ve put up even firmer restrictions to keep the NSW virus on their side of the border, what we’ve now been doing is bringing forward no more red zone permits, and you must get an exemption [to travel into Victoria],” Foley said.
Such small acts can cause the entire state to pay a huge fine, with Melbourne already on the edge of a Coronavirus outbreak.
View of Victorian Police Authorities
While giving a statement, the Victoria Police has mentioned that the force has been keeping an eye on the border through strict patrols, spot checks, monitoring the traffic management points, and from the air.
The statement also included, “The majority of the community are doing the right thing.”
“However, there is always going to be the minority who think they can flout the rules.
“Our message to those people is simple — don’t even think about it.”
Surrounding people in the area, including the Irymple Supermarket Manager, Matt Carter, were relieved that the perpetrators were caught on time, fined, and sent back.
Heavy Consequences
The movement of these and a few other removalists have led to a spike in the number of covid cases, which eventually sparked a Melbourne lockdown.
The number of red zone permits has been decreased, and in order to travel across the borders, an exemption is required for the workers.
Fines of more than $5,000 can be handed over to people caught entering Victoria from a red zone without the required permits.