Police have conducted a review after two German Nationals flew to Melbourne after arriving in Sydney on an International flight in contravention of Public Health (COVID-19 Air Transportation Quarantine) Order 2020.
The pair – a 53-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy – arrived into Sydney International Airport about 9.45am yesterday (Saturday 5 December 2020) on a flight from Tokyo, Japan, and were screened by NSW Health.
After being cleared, all travellers were directed to board a bus to hotel quarantine before the pair advised police that they were booked on a flight to Melbourne.
Police made inquiries as to travel and exemptions, which subsequently allowed the pair to travel to Melbourne on a domestic flight under standard protocols for exempt travellers.
On arrival in Melbourne, Victoria Health advised NSW Health that the pair were not in possession of an approved exemption and had been escorted to hotel quarantine, where they remain.
The NSW Police Force has since conducted a review into the circumstances of the incident and identified police had incorrectly allowed the two travellers to proceed to Melbourne.
Police practices and systems at the airport have also been reviewed and strengthened as a result of this incident.
Since Sunday 29 March 2020, more than 100,000 people have entered the NSW hotel quarantine program, with more than 5500 currently in 17 police-managed hotels across Sydney.
