Keeping Sydney’s outbreak away from Melbourne’s Christmas could be our biggest coronavirus test yet

In a year filled with lockdowns and separation, Christmas is a bright light Victorians have earned — but Sydney’s worsening coronavirus outbreak risks destroying it.

In a year filled with family separations, heartbreak and – in some cases – tragedy, Christmas seems like a bright light blinking on the horizon.

It is close now we can almost touch it.

The hams are being prepped, the prawns are ordered.

We can almost taste them.

The only thing Victorian premier Dan Andrews and chief health officer Brett Sutton want for Christmas is to keep COVID-19 in the box.

They have been sorely tested this year, with mixed results.

This final test for the year is no less or more important than the others in the scheme of a global pandemic, but they know the stakes feel higher.

Professor Sutton said it best.

Everyone is “appropriately anxious” about Sydney coronavirus cases seeding into Melbourne at this time of year.

This couldn’t be a worse time for an outbreak.

Tyler Szostak, 16, arrives from Sydney to see his mother Kim Von Ivan and sister Scarlett. Picture: Ian Currie

People are travelling more, and may be willing to bend the rules to get to people they haven’t seen in many months.

Health Minister Martin Foley insists that people are being monitored if they’re from Sydney – known as the amber zone – and blocked from entering Melbourne if they’re from the northern beaches – the red zone.

Already, however, two kids managed to board a plane and turn up in Melbourne unaccompanied.

Their carer is now in a hotel quarantine, along with the kids.

Thankfully, authorised officers identified them and made sure they isolated.

It begs the question, however, whether the rules tough enough for people coming from Sydney?

How are permits going to be checked and authorities keep on top of visitor movements?

Foley has hinted that the government will go further if needed with border restrictions, to jealously guard the 50 days we’ve built of no community transmission in Victoria.

This includes treating the whole of Sydney as a red zone if the virus spreads.

Given 52,000 NSW residents have already applied for permits to get into Victoria, it’s going to be a hell of a track and trace effort if that was to happen.