Covid 19 coronavirus Omicron: Nine deaths, 14,463 new Covid cases, 1000 people in hospital. Video / NZ Herald
An Auckland sex worker has denied using false documents to flout border restrictions during the Delta lockdown.
Not guilty pleas were entered at Auckland District Court today on behalf of the woman, who has name suppression, by her lawyer Esther Kim.
The sex worker is accused of travelling through the border placed around Auckland last year to Wellington, with a 41-year-old man, in October.
Many people accused of crossing Auckland's border without an exemption were subject to public outcry last year.
A boundary was placed around the Super City for 120 days in the Government's bid to minimise community spread of the Delta variant. Restrictions eased on December 15.
Hundreds of police officers were seconded to patrol at checkpoints placed across Auckland's northern and southern boundaries. Travellers, such as truck drivers, were required to provide documents proving they had an exemption to travel.
Anyone without a valid exemption was turned away by police.
The woman, 24, is charged with failing to comply with the Covid-19 Health Order, which holds a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a fine of $4000.
Both she and the man are also charged with failing to assist police in exercising their search powers and the man is charged with knowingly using a forged document.
That charge holds a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
Kim entered not guilty pleas on behalf of her client, who did not appear in court today. She was further remanded on bail until a case review hearing on May 4.
Dame Catherine Healy of the NZ Prostitutes' Collective previously told the Herald the woman is "widely known to be a sex worker".
The Covid-19 Auckland northern checkpoint was lifted on December 15. Photo / Dean Purcell
Border breaches
A number of people were charged with breaching border restrictions last year.
Among the high profile cases is a woman accused of travelling to Northland with her friend, without a legitimate travel exemption, who later tested positive for Covid-19.
An Auckland couple were subject to nationwide backlash when they left Auckland for a holiday home in Wanaka in September.
William Willis, 36, was convicted and ordered to pay a fine of $750 and Hannah Rawnsley, 26, was granted a discharge without conviction, and ordered give $500 to a charity working with vulnerable people.
The pair had earlier pleaded guilty.
A police investigation was launched after Counties Manukau Māori Responsiveness Manager Inspector Regan Tamihere was accused of travelling through the border without permission.
