Sydney Covid lockdown: NSW borders won’t reopen for months

As NSW records the state’s worst day amid the Covid-19 pandemic, experts have given a very grim forecast for the festive season.

As NSW records its worst day amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the state won’t take interstate border closures into account when deciding whether to ease Greater Sydney’s lockdown settings at the end of August.

The comments by Premier Gladys Berejiklian indicate that the 5.4 million Sydneysiders who have been living under harsh lockdown restrictions since late June won’t be able to travel interstate for months.

Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws appeared on Channel 9’s Today show, predicting the state of NSW will face a “pretty grim” few months – including Christmas.

“I don’t believe that we’ve reached the peak yet of case numbers,” Professor McLaws said, noting the amount of cases active in the community on a daily basis.

“We have a problem because that means that we probably will take another 50-odd days to get back down to that zero level that we need. At the same time we really need an enormously rapid uptake of vaccine in those hotspots and not just in NSW.”

It’s unlikely borders with NSW will reopen anytime soon. Picture: Mike Batterham

Professor McLaws said in order for NSW residents to be able to enjoy a somewhat normal festive season, the state need to do “something different” with the current lockdown order, and that the likelihood of other jurisdictions reopening borders to NSW “won’t happen anytime soon” even with a 70 per cent vaccination rate.

“Don’t forget 70 and 80 per cent of the adult population is actually about 56 or 64 per cent of the total population,” she said.

“That means, one in two people will be protected. The other person won’t be. One in three won’t be protected at that 80 per cent of just the adult population when you look at it from the total population. That is too high to start opening up. We really need Moderna and Pfizer into those hotspot areas rapidly.

“We need night curfews and we need testing by the employer at the place of employment, to make sure that we can break that cycle of infection transmission at home and at the workplace.”

RELATED: New vaccine could be given to babies

One epidemiologist said the situation in NSW is ‘grim’, and borders will probably remain closed for months to come. Picture: Nigel Hallett

RELATED: First Aussie state set to be free

Burnet Institute CEO Brendan Crabb echoed Professor McLaw’s comments, telling ABC News Breakfast it is likely NSW residents will be stuck in their state until at least Christmas.

He said it was “pretty likely” NSW would be shut off from other states and territories for months to come as a result of the state’s outbreak.

“If the rest of Australia stays with the national policy of zero Covid, there is no option but to shut themselves off as best they can,” he said.

“There is just every likelihood that this is going to continue until the best part of Christmas in this sort of on-off lockdown or lockdown for different regions at different levels.”

NSW residents hoping for a summer somewhere like Queensland may be forced to stay at home this year.

Health Minister Greg Hunt admitted that even if the country does reach the 70 per cent vaccination rate, lockdowns will still be a part of Australia’s pandemic recovery effort.

“What we do know is the Doherty modelling has indicated if we have 70 per cent of full vaccination in Australia, the need for lockdowns is less but it’s not an absolute end to them … that is an honest answer,” Mr Hunt said on Today.

“It is important to understand around the world we’re seeing 500,000-plus cases a day, over 800,000 in one day last week … so this situation around the world, it’s a pandemic.”

RELATED: Health Minister’s lockdown admission

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has indicated Sydneysiders won’t be able to travel for months. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

NSW recorded 356 local Covid cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday, and six deaths.

On Monday, Byron Bay and surrounding local government areas in northern NSW entered a seven-day lockdown after a Sydney man visited the region while infectious.

The New England regional city of Tamworth joined the Hunter Region and Armidale for a seven-day lockdown after an infected young woman visited the area from Newcastle last week.

Greater Sydney and surrounding regions are in the midst of an extended lockdown to at least August 28.