South Australia continue to shut border to NSW amid new coronavirus cases

As Queensland announces it will close its borders to two Sydney suburbs, South Australia has also scrapped its opening with NSW.

As Queensland announces it will be closing its border to two Sydney hotspots, South Australia have also announced that borders will no longer be open to NSW and ACT from July 20 as planned.

Following an outbreak of coronavirus cases at the Crossroads Hotel in Sydney’s Casula, which is now sitting at 21 confirmed cases connected to the pub, Premier Steven Marshall said there is too much uncertainty around the current cases in NSW to allow borders to reopen.

R ELATED: QLD declares two Sydney suburbs coronavirus hot spots

South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the state may reconsider reopening with NSW. Picture: Sam Wundke

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said there was a question mark over the opening of state borders. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz.

RELATED: Signs NSW has lost control of the coronavirus

The decision to keep borders closed to NSW and the ACT was made at the state’s transition committee meeting on Tuesday morning, with Mr Marshall saying his priority was to keep South Australians safe.

“We know that this is going to be very inconvenient for people who perhaps have already made plans...but our primary responsibility in South Australia is to the safety and welfare of all South Australians,” he told media.

“Of course, we don’t want to go backwards. We know what’s happened in Victoria with the second wave, in Melbourne in particular. This has cost tens of thousands of people their jobs.”

Mr Marshall said he didn’t want to see his state in the same position as neighbouring Victoria, adding he was being “cautious” and that a further meeting would be held on Friday to discuss the border restrictions in place with NSW and the ACT.

“We are looking at the epidemiology of what is going on,” he said.

“There’s too much uncertainty with regards to this infection, so a decision has been made to keep the borders closed with New South Wales and the ACT.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has deemed two Sydney regions as ‘hotspots’ meaning anyone who has been in the area will need to hotel quarantine upon arrival into the Sunshine State. Picture: Peter Wallis

Meanwhile, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has declared local government areas of Liverpool and Campbelltown as “hotspots” meaning anyone who has visited those areas in the past 14 days will need to enter hotel quarantine after entering the Sunshine State.

“As of midday today, I’ve now declared Campbelltown City and Liverpool City are both hot spots, which means anyone who has been in those areas in the last 14 days and comes into Queensland will need to go into mandatory hotel quarantine,” Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young said.