Residents of Greater Sydney will soon be banned from travelling to Victoria and Queensland due to the growing Northern Beaches coronavirus outbreak.
Victoria’s border closure will come into effect from midnight on Sunday, with Premier Daniel Andrews declaring the entire region – including the Central Coast and the Blue Mountains – a red zone.
Anyone who enters the state after that time will be subjected to 14 days of hotel quarantine.
Returning Victorians have an additional 24 hours to make the trip home, where they will be expected to self-isolate for 14 days at home and get tested.
Those arriving after midnight on Monday will also be subjected to hotel quarantine arrangements, but they will not be expected to pay for it.
An additional 30 cases were recorded in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, taking the Northern Beaches outbreak to 70. The majority – 28 – were linked to the Avalon cluster.
Mr Andrews said Victoria’s significant new step was a “difficult decision, but it is the appropriate decision”.
While new cases were localised to Sydney’s Northern Beaches, he said, it was clear transmission had already spread to other parts of Sydney.
“With so many exposure sites, a growing number, with every chance that there are people who have this virus who have not yet been tested, have not yet been contacted and are not necessarily staying away from others, there could be many more cases, not just in the Northern Beaches but in other parts of Sydney,” the Victorian premier said on Sunday.
Mr Andrews said Christmas was a “dangerous time” when people were moving about in high numbers and his priority was protecting Victorians.
“All of those in Greater Sydney and the Central Coast, please do not come here,” he said. “You must stay in your state to keep Victorians safe … and as far as Victorians are concerned, do not travel to Sydney.”
The border closures would remain in place for “as long as they needed to”, he added, and would not be lifted when the current Northern Beaches lockdown expires at midnight on Wednesday.
The rest of NSW remains a green zone, though Mr Andrews warned that could change.
All NSW residents require a permit to enter Victoria, with those issued a permit in the last 24 hours asked to reapply due to the change in circumstances, the premier added.
The road border will be a hard border, he said, though border communities would have freedom of movement.
DHHS Deputy Secretary Jeroen Weimar said 35 flights carrying 3,400 passengers were expected to arrive in Victoria from NSW on Sunday ahead of the deadline.
“We will meet them and ensure they have the right permit and the right to be here,” Mr Weimar told reporters on Sunday.
Victorians returning home from Monday will also need to apply for an exemption permit, which will be available from Sunday night on the Service Victoria website.
Victoria has gone 51 days without a locally-acquired case of COVID-19.
Queensland follows suit
Queensland authorities also on Sunday announced the state will close its border to residents from Greater Sydney, amid “escalating” cases in Sydney.
From 1am on Monday, Greater Sydney will be declared a COVID-19 hotspot for Queensland, meaning all arrivals from Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven People will not be allowed in without an exemption, and will be required to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days.
Queenslanders will have another 24 hours – until 1am on Tuesday – to get back home but will need to be tested for the virus and quarantine in their home, if suitable, for 14 days.
“If you are from Greater Sydney, now is not the time to travel to Queensland,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
“We love you, we want you have to have a peaceful Christmas at home, and hopefully in the months to come, we’ll be able to welcome you back to our wonderful Sunshine State – but now is not the time.”
The premier said the state will reintroduce road checkpoints at the NSW border.
South Australia tightens border rules
South Australia will require residents of Greater Sydney to quarantine for 14 days from midnight on Sunday, while those from the Northern Beaches have been banned from entering the state.
People from regional NSW will not require quarantine but everyone from the state will be tested on arrival with testing stations established at border checkpoints.
“We don’t take these decisions lightly,” SA Premier Steven Marshall said. “But in this instance we believe that this is the best way we can protect South Australia from any seeding into our states, especially as we lead up to Christmas.”
The SA premier has announced all Greater Sydney residents will have to quarantine on arrival, while Northern Beaches residents will be banned.
AAP Image/David Mariuz
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned current restrictions could be extended beyond Wednesday as the number of new cases continues to rise.
NSW health authorities have conducted 28,000 tests in the past 24 hours.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus. Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania.
