Coronavirus Australia news: NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says two Victorian COVID-19 cases visited NSW

Victoria police waved through cars with Vic plates last night

We’re hearing that Victorian police officers waved through hundreds of travellers with Victorian number plates last night, as a wave of people returning from NSW placed huge pressure on the border checkpoints.

Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said police held an urgent meeting with Victorian health authorities around 9:00pm last night, as officers became concerned that those facing hours-long waits at the border included the elderly, people with anxiety and children.

“The State Health Controller approved opening up, letting more cars go through, but there was a risk assessment there,” Deputy Commissioner Nugent said.

“So Victorian-registered vehicles, holiday-makers, caravans, boats and so on, we could wave them through.

“We know from checking the permits that they were right. We know there wasn’t as much, or anywhere near the risk there with that group. 

“New South Wales’ and other states’ vehicles were all checked. So that then got some movement coming through that helped clear that backlog.”

Travellers seeking to cross the border back into Victoria before the hard closure takes effect from 11:59pm tonight will need to have joined the queue of cars at a checkpoint by midnight, he said.

“At midnight, regardless of how long the queue is, we’ll have a police car go to the end of that queue. If you are there by midnight, regardless of whether you’re actually processed, you’re included as arriving prior to midnight.”