Total border closure considered by Victorian government

Victoria’s border with NSW could be closed within 48 hours if the coronavirus outbreak in Sydney worsens.

Passengers arriving from Sydney were tested at Avalon Airport. Picture: Glenn Ferguson.

The total closure of the border with NSW is being considered by the Victorian government in a desperate bid to avoid a third wave.

Authorities are waiting to see what Saturday’s outbreak figures show and the border could be shut within 48 hours.

On Friday night plane arrivals from Sydney were being tested for coronavirus in a dramatic escalation to stop the spread of infection.

Passengers at Victoria’s Avalon Airport were being tested within minutes of touching down.

Testing will also take place at Melbourne Airport. Those tested will be asked to self-isolate until a result is known.

Travellers from Sydney have their permits checked in the Qantas terminal at Melbourne Airport. Picture: Ian Currie

Passengers arriving from Sydney were tested at Avalon Airport. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

Fears of border closures are expected to on Saturday see a rapid rise in people crossing the border ahead of Christmas and the holiday period.

A hard border closure would see up to 70 police checkpoints put in place to block entry to Victoria throwing family reunions and holiday travel plans into chaos.

The government was last night locked in crisis talks after Sydney’s Northern Beaches cluster rose to 28 cases.

There are fears that number could almost double on Saturday causing alarm among Victorian health authorities.

Further restrictions could be triggered if a significant number of cases cannot be linked to the already known clusters.

Victorians have been urged to scrap any travel plans to NSW amid expectations conditions will rapidly deteriorate.

A permit system came into effect from midnight for all NSW residents travelling to Victoria.

People who have been to the Northern Beaches of Sydney since December 11 have been banned from all travel to Victoria.

If caught here they will be forced into mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine.

Victorian health officials have been working to contact all passengers who travelled from NSW and arrived in Victoria from December 11.

A pop-up testing clinic was set up at Avalon Airport. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

Health Minister Martin Foley warned further border or quarantine restrictions were being considered.

“Victorians have worked really hard to get to 49 days ‘community transmission free’ of this virus,” Mr Foley said.

“We are not going to put that at risk, we will take all the steps the evidence tells us to protect that.”

The health Minister said conditions were expected to deteriorate and also warned that in the future Victorians returning from New South Wales might need to undergo a 14-day quarantine period on arrival here.

“Don’t come from Sydney if you’re planning to come to Melbourne. Don’t go to Sydney if you’re planning to go to Sydney.”

“It won’t be a holiday. It won’t be a Christmas. It won’t be the Christmas or the holiday you were planning.”

One Victorian has already been identified as a close contact of a case linked to the northern beaches cluster.

The asymptomatic person was in quarantine.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton warned it could take weeks before the situation was brought under control.

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said the Victorian Government’s approach was “sensible”, but said further measures should be enacted.

“I don’t blame Victorians for being nervous about the prospect of more coronavirus,” he said.

“I mean we’ve caught this worse than any other state in the country and we don’t want to cop it again, so I understand Victorians being nervous and this is part of the reason why I’m saying I think there is some sensible things, practical things, the government could do to protect Victoria,” he said.

“That includes setting up checkpoints for road entries, rather than just random car lotto of vehicle patrols.”

Health Minister Martin Foley said Victoria would be monitoring the Sydney outbreak closely. Picture: Daniel Pockett/NCA NewsWire.

Scott Morrison said he had full confidence in the capacity of NSW to get the outbreak under control.

“They are working around the clock,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our advice is to take heed of the information that is being made available by NSW authorities … For those in other states, it’s the same rule – follow the advice of local authorities.”

“The virus has not gone away, it’s still there.”

“We’ve dealt with this before, we’ll deal with it again.”

Tourism operators warned any move to shut Victoria’s border to New South Wales would have devastating consequences on the rebounding sector.

Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) chief Felicia Mariani said operators were finally getting back on their feet after nearly a year of harsh COVID restrictions.

“To lose Sydney as a market, at the time the Australian Open will be ‘going to market’ so to speak, would just be devastating for us, if the border closes,” she said.

“But that’s a very big ‘if’ and we need to wait to see what happens with the northern beaches outbreak, how it’s handled and what our Premier (Daniel Andrews) decides to do … so it’s too early to say what, if any, impact there might be,” she said.