Another 127 cases of coronavirus across VIC as NSW shuts border

Victoria has recorded its highest total of coronavirus cases so far as NSW shuts the Victorian border, the first time it’s happened in 100 years.

Victoria has recorded 127 new cases of coronavirus overnight, the state’s highest daily spike so far.

It comes as NSW closes the border to Victorians from midnight tomorrow.

A man in his 90s died from the deadly virus in the past 24 hours, while 34 cases were linked to known outbreaks, 40 to routine testing and 53 remain under investigation.

Cases of infections in Melbourne’s locked down public housing towers have doubled with the tally at 53, a total of 26 more than yesterday.

The Victorian-NSW border will close from midnight tomorrow, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced this morning.

He said a “permit-based” system would determine who is allowed to cross the border, with the NSW premier to announce later today the logistics about the operation.

“This is the right approach to take at this time.”

A lone woman is seen looking out the window of her apartment at the North Melbourne Public housing flats. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Tenants living inside Melbourne’s nine quarantined public housing towers have spoken of “prison-like” conditions, with about 3000 people not allowed to leave their apartments for at least three more days.

It comes after the Government distributed an information booklet to residents citing the lockdown operation as “detention”.

Victorian Greens MP Ellen Sandell slammed the move.

“For the first 18+ hours of lockdown, public housing residents received virtually no information. Then they were handed this 5 page document in English,” she said.

“Think about how a ‘Detention direction’ looks for people who have fled war zones and dictators. This has been led by force, not care.”

Victoria’s Housing Minister Richard Wynne said the Government had “reached out” to more than 900 of the 3000 residents.

“We are doing absolutely everything we can to both reach out and support people in this really difficult time,” he said.