Police have now charged two young women with breaching the health order by travelling from Sydney to Newcastle, while infected with COVID-19.
One of them – aged 21 – told police conducting Opal card checks on a train at Cardiff station on July 29 that she had left the Greater Sydney area.
She was given a warning and told to return home.
On July 30, police were called to a home at Shortland, approached a vehicle parked nearby and spoke with two women – aged 20 and 21.
Both had driver’s licences indicating they lived in Sydney’s west.
Without a reasonable excuse, they were handed $1000 fines for breaching the public health order.
Both were directed to go back to Sydney, but police say they did not.
It’s since been revealed that the women allegedly visited several locations across both Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and later tested positive for coronavirus.
They’ve been charged and issued court attendance notices.
The younger woman will face Mt Druitt local court on September 29 and the older one will face Hornsby local court that same day.
Police are investigating whether there were other breaches.
