Coronavirus NSW: WA closes border, Qld, Tasmania, NT quarantine rules
WA has slammed the border shut to NSW residents, while Queensland, Tasmania and the NT will force any traveller who has recently visited the northern beaches to quarantine.
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Western Australia has slammed the border shut to NSW residents, and Queensland, the Northern Territory and Tasmania will force all travellers from the northern beaches area into mandatory 14-day quarantine following Thursday’s news that Sydney’s coronavirus cluster had ballooned to 17 confirmed cases.
On Thursday night NSW Health announced 16 venues were on high alert, and residents of the northern beaches were told not to leave the area.
Hours later WA, Queensland, Tasmania and the NT announced the travel restrictions
WA Premier Mark McGowan pulled the plug on the open border between the two states, reinstating 14-day quarantine for all NSW travellers from midnight.
From 12.01am today (December 18), NSW residents will have to self-isolate for 14 days, and be tested for COVID-19 on day 11 of quarantine.
Anyone who spent time in NSW from December 11 and arrived in WA before December 18 will have to get tested for the virus and quarantine straight away until they get a negative result.
They will also be required to get tested again on the 11th day after their arrival in WA.
Mr McGowan said WA authorities instated the emergency measures because they were worried “many more” NSW cases would emerge, but the decision to slam the border shut had been “difficult” so close to Christmas.
“We are very concerned there will be many more community cases in NSW,” his statement read.
“I understand these changes will cause frustration and uncertainty for some people, and be very upsetting for many families looking to reunite and spend Christmas together.
“This has been a difficult decision to make, but we need to follow the health advice and do what is in the best interest of all Western Australians.”
He said the WA government would “monitor the situation” in NSW before taking any further steps.
Next followed Queensland, declaring Sydney’s northern beaches a hot spot.
A statement from Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said anyone who had visited the northern beaches since December 11 much quarantine for 14 days.
Those arriving after 1am on December 19 in Queensland will go into hotel quarantine at their own expense.
“This includes both interstate visitors and Queensland residents returning home,” Dr Young said in a statement on Thursday night. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will provide an update tomorrow morning.”
Tasmania has cancelled the travel passes of anyone who has been in the northern beaches local government area since December 11. People who visited the area and are already in Tasmania have been ordered to self-isolate and get a test as soon as possible.
A statement from the Tasmanian government said the northern beaches was now a “high risk area”, alongside Kirribilli, Peakhurst and Penrith, where venues were visited by positive cases.
Travellers from these areas cannot enter Tasmania unless they are approved as Essential Travellers and will have to reapply for a travel pass.
The NT then declared the northern beaches a hot spot and ordered 14 days of quarantine for any travellers who arrive in the NT after 12.01am on today (Friday) who have visited the area.
People in the NT who have visited the northern beaches recently must also get tested and self-isolate.
A statement from the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet urged travellers to “rethink” their interstate travel plans.
“If you are intending to travel to the Northern Territory from an identified COVID-19 hot spot you are advised to rethink your plans. If you are a Territorian intending to travel to a hot spot you are advised to rethink your plans,” the statement said.
It comes as officials confirmed the newly-positive cases had unwittingly visited 16 venues across Mona Vale, Avalon, Artarmon, Dee Why and Palm Beach in Sydney’s northeast while infectious, including two Woolworths, a Commonwealth Bank branch, a dog park and a fruit market.
People who visited the following places should get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result:
* Woolworths Mona Vale, December 13, 12-12.30pm
* Aldi Mona Vale, December 13, 12.45-1.30pm
* Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club, December 13, 14 and 15, 9-9.30am
* Woolworths Avalon, December 14, 5-5.30pm
* Chemist Warehouse, Avalon Beach, December 14, 5.20-5.25pm
* Commonwealth Bank, Avalon Beach, December 15, 12-12.15pm
* Mitre 10, Avalon Beach, December 15, 12-12.20pm
* Roof Racks World, Artarmon, December 15, 2-2:30pm
* HongFa BBQ Restaurant, Dee Why, December 15, 4.30-4.45pm
* Dee Why Fruit Market, December 15, 4.45-4.55pm
* North Avalon Cellars, December 15, 6-6.05pm
* Careel Bay Dog Park and Hitchcock Park, Avalon, December 16, 7-7.30am
* Palm Beach Pool, December 16, 8am-9am
* Brot and Wurst, North Narrabeen, December 16, 2pm-2.05pm
* Avalon Beach Post Shop, December 16, 3.30-3.50pm
One of the cluster cases also caught the train on December 14, travelling from Roseville to Redfern from 6.50am to 7.40am, Redfern to Milsons Point from 11.20am to 11.45am and Milsons Point to Roseville from 3.15 to 3.40pm.
People on these services are casual contacts and should watch for symptoms to appear, according to NSW Health.
An extra pop-up testing clinic at Avalon Bowling Club will open from 8am to 4pm each day, in addition to pop-up clinics at Warringah, Avalon and Newport.
It comes as a deep clean has been ordered for the Department of Education’s offices in Eveleigh after an IT worker in the department tested positive on Thursday night.
All other staff in the departmental offices were sent home to self-isolate until further notice.
Extra precautions were put in place for the Eveleigh building, which caters to a number of companies last night.
Corporate residents of the building were told the education department had organised a “pandemic clean” of their areas, and swipe card access would be required to enter the building “until further notice”.
Other residents told employees to monitor for symptoms and get tested if any occur.
An Education Department spokesman said that after the department was told of the case, it “directed all staff from the office affected to immediately work remotely from home while we complete the contact tracing process and have the office thoroughly cleaned”.
“Staff have been told to self-isolate at home until they receive further advice. Any staff identified as a close contact will be contacted directly,” the spokesman said.
NSW Health had not identified the office on a list of premises impacted by a positive COVID case distributed late last night.
However, NSW Health said a confirmed case had travelled from Roseville to nearby Redfern on Monday.
Originally published as Coronavirus NSW: WA closes border, Qld, Tasmania, NT quarantine rules
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