‘Stowaway’, 51, is accused of hiding in the back of a truck to cross into Queensland from Victoria ‘after claiming she was visiting for essential work’
- Woman , 51, claimed to be travelling from Victoria for essential work purposes
- Police are investigating the matter, alleging ‘her purpose of travel was untrue’
- She is alleged to have crossed into Queensland in the back of a truck
Another woman has been accused of lying to get into Queensland from Victoria after allegedly hiding in the back of a truck.
The alleged stowaway, 51, is accused of illegally crossing into Queensland with another person and has since been issued with a notice to appear in court.
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles said at a press conference on Saturday that two people were found in the back of a truck.
Police say the 51-year-old declared she was visiting the state from Victoria for essential work, but officers claim this is not the case after speaking to her in Gympie at 11am on Saturday.
Police said in a statement the woman allegedly lied on her Queensland Border Declaration, which are ‘consistently’ reviewed by the Queensland Police Service. Pictured: Defence personnel at a checkpoint on the Queensland-New South Wales border in Coolangatta
All vehicles travelling into Queensland will be stopped and checked as coronavirus cases in the Sunshine State rise and the pandemic continues
‘Further investigations revealed that her purpose of travel was untrue,’ police said in the statement.
The woman was issued a notice to appear at Gympie Magistrates Court on November 30 and was taken to hotel quarantine, where she remains.
Her actions follow an aged care worker at Bolton Clarke Aged Care facility in Pinjarra Hills testing positive to COVID-19.
Officers from the Gympie Police Station (pictured) visited the 51-year-old at an address about 11am on Saturday to clarify her travel intentions and whereabouts
The woman, aged in her 30s, is the wife of a 27-year-old Bellbird Park man, who also tested positive for the virus on Friday.
The cases are linked to the infected young women who allegedly sneaked across the border from Melbourne – and continued to visit shops, bars and restaurants, despite feeling sick.
The aged care facility in Brisbane’s southwest has since locked down over fears other workers and residents are at risk.
All residents and staff at the facility will now undergo testing.
‘We are working with them (the aged care facility) to keep all residents safe,’ Mr Miles said.
Health Minister Steven Miles (pictured) confirmed at a press conference on Saturday the 51-year-old woman and one other was found stowed away in the back of a truck
The women responsible are Diana Lasu, 21, and Olivia Winnie Muranga, 19, who allegedly lied on their border declarations about where they had been when they arrived in Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21.
They carried on working, socialising and visiting a number of venues while waiting for their test results – which came back positive, police allege.
The aged care worker’s husband is believed to have caught the virus from relatives who visited the Madtongsan IV Korean restaurant at Sunnybank on July 23, when one of the women was there.
They are now at the centre of the new COVID-19 cluster, along with another 21-year-old woman Haja Timbo.
Olivia Winnie Muranga (left) and Diana Lasu, (right) both 19, arrived together in Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21
The aged care worker’s husband is believed to have caught the virus from relatives who visited the Madtongsan IV Korean restaurant at Sunnybank (pictured) on July 23, when one of the women was there
All three women have been charged with one count each of providing false or misleading documents and fraud over their alleged lies to authorities when they arrived in Brisbane.
The aged care worker is the third case of community transmission linked to the cluster, following one of the women charged sisters testing positive earlier this week.
Community transmission had been eradicated in the state for two months before those infections.
She is now working with authorities to determine all the locations she has been to while infectious.
‘She and her husband have been absolutely model citizens, they really and truly have been unbelievably fantastic,’ Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said.