NT borders to remain locked to all of Victoria and parts of NSW for foreseeable future, as cases rise

TRAVELLERS from greater metropolitan Sydney and other hotspot-declared council areas in New South Wales will remain locked out of the Northern Territory until at least late August.

TRAVELLERS from greater metropolitan Sydney and other hotspot-declared council areas in New South Wales will remain locked out of the Northern Territory until at least late August.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner today confirmed there would be no changes to declared hotspot areas in New South Wales due to the ongoing risk with coronavirus, while Victoria’s hotspot status would remain “indefinitely”.

It comes as authorities confirmed 14,422 people had entered the NT between July 17 and 5am today, an increase of about 4000 people in a single weekend.

There are 294 people in mandatory quarantine at the disused workers camp at Howard Springs and another 75 in Alice Springs.

Cars queued up at a coronavirus border checkpoint in Victoria. Picture: Alan Barber

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“The outbreaks of concern are confined to Sydney and they appear well managed but still growing, there is still spread, there is still community transmission which means Sydney will present a threat to the Territory for the foreseeable future,” Mr Gunner said.

He said the NT would shut the borders to hotspots when required, with authorities maintaining a “watching brief” on NSW as a whole and the ACT.

Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker confirmed about three people had been fined for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s orders since the penalty quadrupled to $5056 for an individual and up to $25,280 for businesses.

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Today was Australia’s worst day for coronavirus since the pandemic began, after Victoria recorded 532 new cases and six deaths, five linked to aged-care homes.

NSW recorded 17 new cases.