Coronavirus: Gladys Berejiklian warns of ‘critical time’ as police get tough

NSW is heading into a ‘critical’ phase in its battle against COVID-19, as the Premier urged residents and businesses to apply a new level of caution.

Police check a cyclist’s credentials in Albury-Wodonga on Wednesday, as motorists confronted long traffic jams at the NSW-Victoria border. Picture: Simon Dallinger

NSW is heading into a “critical” phase in its battle against COVID-19, as the Premier urged residents and businesses to apply a new level of caution to block the chain of community transmission and warned police had been told to “throw the book” at offenders.

The state recorded 16 new cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, including three linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, one in hotel quarantine, and 11 associated with the Thai Rock cluster in Wetherill Park.

Of the new cases reported on Wednesday, one included a man in his 60s in the Port Stephens area who has been linked to a previously confirmed case.

The number of cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster has reached 53, while 37 are linked with the Thai Rock outbreak.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said this was the most critical time for the state to control the virus, but stressed the level of compliance from businesses and their patrons needed to be improved.

“If we manage to get on top of the community transmission at this stage we have a much better chance of continuing forward in a positive way, but the next few weeks are critical,” she said.

“It is up to all of us to accept it. And since announcing the extra advice on venues coming to effect on Friday, I am still not seeing the level of compliance I want to see.”

Ms Berejiklian remained concerned about the extent of community transmission despite there being no new strains of corona­virus popping up across the state.

“We are not out of the woods yet, quite the opposite … we have some level of anxiety regarding the extent of community transmission,” she said.

Ms Berejiklian has urged NSW Police to “throw the book” at anyone caught breaching restrictions rules in the coming weeks.

“My conversations with the Police Commissioner and with the regulator is: please make sure you throw the book at everybody who is not doing the right thing,” she said. “Everyone has had ample ­notice; that includes patrons as well as the business themselves.

“You will be fined. Worse than that, if you breach again, you will be shut down.”

Addressing the NSW-Victorian border closure, Ms Berejiklian said she was in contact with local councils and could “appreciate the frustration” as tighter restrictions were rolled out overnight causing kilometres of delays at border crossings.

“We appreciate the frustration, but … unfortunately, as you see with the situation in Victoria, we don’t have any assurance that there is no community transmission in regional Victoria,” she said. “That puts all of NSW at risk.”

Police have reminded residents not to travel unless it is essential and that entry into NSW from Victoria is not permitted unless strict exemption criteria are met.

“For those who must travel, they can help reduce overall delays by avoiding peak times, particularly at major checkpoints,” Commander of Operations Border Closure Assistant Commissioner Scott Whyte said.

Ms Berejiklian added that more than 200,000 travel permits were granted to border-town residents since it was shut in July.

“It would have been far easier for us to do what Queensland did to us. Could have easily said, that is a hard border and that is it, like what Queensland did,” she said.

“Those communities on the NSW-Victoria border have lived as one for a century. That is why we are going to so much effort to support them.”