Australians warned to avoid all non-essential travel over Easter amid coronavirus crisis

With the Easter holidays this weekend, state governments and police have promised a crackdown on non-essential travel and holidays.

Around the country, Australians have been told to cancel trips and stay at home. Even family gatherings, and gatherings of more than two people, are banned.

In Tasmania, police will use helicopters to spot people travelling on the roads, while in New South Wales, even the state arts minister, Don Harwin, could be fined $1,000 for moving to his holiday house.

New South Wales

Police will use number plate recognition technology and stake out caravan parks and highways to catch people potentially travelling for holidays.

The police commissioner, Mick Fuller, said he would be deploying additional police to the north coast especially, and that “from Friday onwards, we’ll be issuing tickets, particularly for those not from New South Wales”.

Related: Flattening Australia's coronavirus curve: is community transmission increasing?

Queensland

Police set up a surprise checkpoint at the Port of Brisbane ferry terminal on Thursday, turning away masses of people trying to head to Moreton Bay for a holiday.

Over the weekend, police on the Gold Coast will flood the M1’s southbound lane, scanning licence plates to catch people registered from further north. The district’s chief superintendent, Mark Wheeler, said people would be pulled over, questioned and potentially fined if they were holidaying and not travelling for an essential reason.

“We can easily check while we’re driving where a car is registered to,” he told the Gold Coast Bulletin. “Everyone in that vehicle has made that conscious decision to do non-essential travel, so we would certainly consider to issue fines for everyone in that car, not just the driver.”

And even those not pulled over could have their plates scanned, and then be investigated and fined later, he said. On top of that, all Queenslanders have been warned that if they head south into NSW, they will need a border pass to get back in.

Earlier in the week, police also confirmed they would be investigating a flood of applications to try to become residents of Stradbroke Island – so they could holiday there. More than 300 people had applied in a week to become residents of the popular holiday destination.

The state’s disaster coordinator and deputy police commissioner, Steve Gollschewski, said police would be looking into it. “It’s not a game to work out how you can game the system and go to your holiday home on Straddie,” he said.

Victoria

The police minister, Lisa Neville, said on Thursday that police will crack down on holiday travel. Visiting family for social reasons is already banned in the state, and police will also be out issuing fines to people who travel an excessive distance for exercise or recreation.

“Travelling from Melbourne to Lorne to surf is inappropriate,” Neville said. “You can’t go to an Airbnb, you can’t camp, you can’t caravan, you can’t boat, you can’t fish. You can’t catch up with friends or family that don’t currently live with you.”

On Wednesday, Victoria Police issued fines to two men because they were in a car watching a movie in a public place, six people who claimed they were “just chilling”, four people who were “driving around aimlessly” and to a man who said he drove from Wantirna South to South Melbourne – just under 40km – to buy a bottle of water.

Tasmania

Helicopters will be flown over Tasmania, keeping an eye on people travelling for holidays. There will also be an increased police presence in the state’s northwest, where a quarter of the state’s current cases are located.

The premier, Peter Gutwein, said on Thursday that “the gloves [would] come off” for Easter.

“We are going to police this … If you go to a shack and you don’t have a reasonable excuse to be there, you will be asked to leave. If you don’t, you will be summonsed and charged.”

Western Australia

Beaches could be shut over the Easter weekend as the weather seems set to bring record-breaking heat. Maximums of 36C are forecast for Perth on Good Friday and Saturday, prompting police to warn that they will be patrolling beaches.

Going to the beach is allowed, the police commissioner, Chris Dawson, said, as long as you maintain physical distancing and do not travel unnecessarily to get there.

“What we are saying is don’t drive away from your home on holidays,” he said. “But yes, you are allowed to go out and exercise. Yes, you are allowed to go to the beach.”

However, the deputy commissioner, Gary Dreibergs, was blunt: “If you want to go to the beach, go, have a swim, pack up your towel, go back to your car, head home,” he said.

Local councils are standing by ready to close the beaches if they get too crowded. The WA health minister, Roger Cook, said that “obviously closing the beach is an option. [But] it’s the very last option – we just simply want people to be doing the right thing.”

South Australia

Police will also be patrolling holiday areas in SA, according to the commissioner, Grant Stevens.

“Some of these holiday destinations have communities in an older age bracket and those older people are concerned about this,” he said.

Related: From blocked-off beaches to bench bans: Easter lockdowns around the world

Australian Capital Territory

Police will be out at the ACT’s border crossings into NSW, but there will not be any hard checkpoints or roadblocks.

Police will also patrol near Namadgi national park, according to the ACT police commissioner, Ray Johnson. And on the NSW south coast, NSW police have said they will be targeting ACT licence plates to stop holidayers travelling to their usual destinations.

Northern Territory

The police commander Tony Fuller has told Territorians to stay at home over Easter.

“The NT is the only jurisdiction that hasn’t had a death due to the virus and we want it to stay that way,” he said in the NT police’s official Easter message.

“Most parks are closed and fishing is only possible at certain spots. Police will be highly visible over the Easter weekend. If you are fishing in a boat it should only be with the people you are living with.”

• Australian Associated Press contributed to this report