Coronavirus Australia: Victorian pair travelled to NSW while infected with COVID-19

We now know more about the two Victorians who were infected with COVID-19 when they crossed the border into NSW. Follow our live coverage of the pandemic.

We now know more about the two Victorians who were infected with COVID-19 when they crossed the border into NSW.

 

Two Victorians infected with COVID-19 were in the testing queue in NSW when they were contacted by Victorian health authorities with a concerning message.

They were told they were close contacts of an infected person who ate at a restaurant in the Victorian suburb of Black Rock where a cluster has now grown to 10.

The news was relayed by a shocked Gladys Berejiklian at a press conference on Friday morning who told reporters the news had "literally" just come through to her.

NSW Health says the pair travelled to Lakes Entrance on the 28th and 29th of December before visiting Eden, Bega and Bermagui on December 30 and 31.

They were contacted by Victoria's DHHS on December 31.

It comes after Victorians made a mad rush to the border yesterday that saw families stuck in queues well after midnight — some waited more than six hours before getting back into the state.

The dash started after Acting Premier Jacinta Allan announced at 3pm that the border to all of NSW would be closed from 11.59pm on January 1.

Victoria recorded 7 cases on Friday, including five which were reported late on Thursday and the two NSW travellers who are now isolating back in Victoria.

In New South Wales, the state has recorded a further three cases in Western Sydney. Contact tracers are now scrambling to link the cases to existing clusters. Fortunately, genomic testing has finally confirmed links between the Avalon, Croydon and Wollongong cluster, as NSW works to identify the missing links that resulted in spread. 

Follow our live updates throughout the day.

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