NSW approach put to the test

It is early days but NSW again is setting an example for other states in how best to respond in a measured way to the health and economic threat posed by the pandemic. While other states are losing their heads and slamming shut state borders, NSW is localising disruption, stepping up contact tracing and encouraging those not immediately impacted to go about their business with care. The Gold Coast and Ningaloo are off-limits but Sydney residents are still being encouraged to visit regional centres and enjoy the festive season. The emphasis is on making sure that citizens allow their movements to be logged properly in case contact tracing is necessary.

The actions of the NSW government are in stark contrast to cries on the ABC and elsewhere that community members cannot be trusted and must be locked inside for their own good. It will be several days before a full account can be made of how far the COVID-19 outbreak that started in Sydney‘s northern beach suburbs has spread. The early news, however, is positive. The official figures on Monday were that infection rates had eased.

There were 15 locally acquired new cases announced on Monday, all of which were linked to the Avalon cluster on Sydney‘s northern beaches.

If the trend continues to fall without a breakout in other areas of Sydney, it is possible that restrictions in place in NSW to contain the northern beaches outbreak could be relaxed for Christmas. The considered response of NSW compares favourably with the trigger-happy responses of other states, which have effectively slammed the door on Greater Sydney, causing chaos for business and families.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan closed the border with NSW immediately the Sydney cluster was known. Victoria and South Australia followed, and Queensland on Monday reimposed a hard border with its southern neighbour, which it said will not be reconsidered until there have been 28 days of no unlinked cases of COVID-19 in NSW. This makes the earliest reopening date for unrestricted travel between Greater Sydney and Queensland January 8, a diabolical blow for tourism operators over the Christmas period.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is right to call on her state counterparts to take a more mature response with border closures. She is speaking for millions of Australians whose plans for Christmas have been thrown into turmoil. NSW has led by example on the issue. The only time the state has closed its border to anyone was Victoria at the time of the second-wave outbreak. At that time Victoria’s case numbers were more than 140 and rising. Ms Berejiklian has been a lone voice calling for actions that are proportionate to the risk.

It is still possible the NSW cluster may escalate and expand beyond Sydney’s northern beaches. But it is fair to expect that decisions to restrict travel and other liberties be based on facts rather than politics and emotions. Scott Morrison has taken tentative steps to bring some uniformity to how decisions are made on restricting national movements. The Prime Minister says the door is always open for talks on a national agreement for what should constitute a coronavirus hotspot and what restrictions should apply. Constitutionally, the states have freedom to decide. But there are national as well as personal implications to the decisions that are made.

NSW is conducting its response to the northern beaches cluster against a chorus of naysayers who favour a lockdown as a first response. If it succeeds, the NSW approach will have proven itself to be a model that effectively can balance health and economic outcomes with minimum disruption to the fortunes of businesses and the liberty of citizens.