Police backed to curb COVID-19

THE state government is not looking at introducing COVID-19 testing at regional Victoria border checkpoints to crack down on the spread of the virus.

It follows a call by the Australian Medical Association’s Victorian branch and state opposition to consider COVID-19 checkpoint testing.

On Friday the government announced more testing sites throughout regional Victoria, none of which were in Geelong, and said more would be announced in coming days.

A government spokeswoman said mobile police patrols were helping limit the spread of coronavirus.

“Operation Sentinel involves statewide resources including the public order response team, mounted branch, highway patrol, 24hour mobile patrols and local police who are deployed wherever and whenever necessary,” the spokeswoman said.

“Police checkpoints operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Motorist Mark Carrigan said no one was at the Little River checkpoint early on Friday morning.

“At 5.30am I passed through the COVID enforced roadblock at Little River, only to find there was no police or army members checking vehicles travelling from the forced Melbourne lockdown to Geelong and regional Victoria,” he said.

“Why were people free to travel outside Melbourne to Geelong and beyond, increasing the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus?

“It defeats the purpose of imposing such stringent restrictions on the people of Victoria when one of those restrictions has suddenly been relaxed.”