Coronavirus: States, territories refuse to endorse Scott Morrison’s hotspot definition

No state or territory has fully endorsed the federal government’s draft definition of a COVID-19 hotspot, setting a challenge for Scott Morrison.

National cabinet will work on the commonwealth’s hot spot definition, with the aiming of reopening borders by Christmas. Picture: Alex Ellinghausen

No state or territory has fully endorsed the federal government’s draft definition of a COVID-19 hotspot, setting a challenge for Scott Morrison as he tries to introduce national standards for lifting borders by Christmas.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan, the only state or territory leader on Friday to reject a new plan to reopen by December 25, insisted a hotspot model “significantly increases the risk of an outbreak” because it relied on factors outside his government’s control.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is also defying Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly’s proposed model for both he and the affected jurisdiction’s chief health officer to declare a hotspot together, saying she would rely on the advice of her top doctor, Jeannette Young.

Under Professor Kelly’s proposal, pitched to national cabinet on Friday, a metropolitan area — such as a number of suburbs or a local government area — would be classified a hotspot when there were 30 locally acquired cases over three days.

In rural or regional Australia, the three-day rolling average for a hotspot declaration is nine cases.

“Right now, a hotspot model of travel restrictions is simply not as effective as the hard border, given the level of community transmission in other states,” Mr McGowan said. “Prematurely reopening the borders will risk both the state and national economies.”

Ms Palaszczuk said: “Queensland’s borders (to NSW, Victoria and the ACT) will reopen when the CHO advises it is safe.”

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein was open to working on a hotspot definition with the commonwealth but said “any decision regarding state borders will remain a matter for the state … We won’t be ceding our responsibility in terms of our borders to the commonwealth.”

It would be up to states and territories to decide what actions to take once a COVID-19 hotspot was declared under the commonwealth model, but the aim is to have a national approach so only Australians in those areas would have movements restricted.

While NSW and Victoria have never closed their borders, except between the two states as Victoria’s second wave escalated, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is pushing for a specific hotspot definition for Sydney.

 

The ACT wants a definition for mid-sized cities like Canberra, Geelong and Newcastle, after Chief Minister Andrew Barr suggested a hotspot could be declared in those cities when 15 cases were recorded over three days.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall and Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner would consider advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on any commonwealth hotspot definition but would not completely back the current proposal.

The NT already uses a hotspot approach, with Australians living in Victoria and greater Sydney advised to cancel plans or be forced into a 14-day quarantine.

“The Territory is the model for the rest of the nation,” Mr Gunner said. “Our strict quarantine rules will stay in place for as long as it’s needed to protect the Territory. But if you’re safe, you’re welcome here and we want you here.”

Ms Berejiklian lashed all states except Victoria for “precluding doing business or allowing relatives from NSW to go into their state”.

“I’ve always tried to be respectful but it gets to a point where they need to look closely at what it’s doing to their own citizens,” she told Sky News.

“Their citizens at this point in time might be led to believe having zero cases is fantastic and this is great but in six months’ time when jobs go, when businesses fold, when tourism operators can’t restart, when international flights are cancelled indefinitely, you’re looking down the prism of economic chaos for their citizens and I’m just asking people to take the medium and long-term view.”