Travellers disappear

Police change border permits after 387 people skip quarantine

POLICE and border officials urged anyone coming into Queensland to apply for their declaration pass well in advance and give the correct information.

The caution comes as visitor numbers pick up from Wallangarra to Goondiwindi.

“Traffic is flowing a lot better as people get used to the fact that they must have their border declaration pass ready and to have it completed a few days earlier,” Texas Sergeant Greg Finucane said.

“It is just about getting that through to people.”

Sadly, many visitors are not doing the right thing.

The Queensland Police Service statistics list the hundreds of visitors and residents who have violated COVID-19 quarantine compliance checks.

Since April 18, QPS COVID-19 Taskforce Sierra Linnet completed 2322 selfquarantine compliance checks.

Most people had followed to the self-quarantine requirements, but 16 per cent did not.

There have been 387 cases where QPS officers were unable to locate a person at their self-quarantine address.

About 35 people were located and issued with an infringement notice while 25 people provided the correct details but left their self-quarantine address and remain missing.

These people are wanted for questioning by police.

A further 185 people remain at-large and are believed to have provided false details.

Lying on the declaration or entering the state unlawfully could result in a $4003 fine.

A police spokesman said that $4003 fine and mandatory hotel quarantine had reduced the rate of people suppling false information at the border.

On Sunday a NSW man was fined after attempting to sneak into Queensland by hiding in a car boot and a Victorian man, 27, was fined after Texas police found he provided false details on July 16.

michael.nolan@thechronicle.com.au