Christmas travel in turmoil as states introduce restrictions for NSW travellers

The Andrews Government isn’t ruling out shutting the NSW border before Christmas.

Public health teams from all the states and territories have met overnight to discuss the implications of the Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak, which has climbed to 28 cases.

Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Swinburne University, Professor Bruce Thompson, says “it’s a concern because we know how much it can escalate”.

Professor Thompson told Stephen Quartermain and Tony Leonard, filling in for Ross and Russel, that Christmas travel is “obviously not going to be be in doubt”.

He says the NSW contact tracing system will now really be put to the test.

“The Prime Minister said this is the gold standard. Well, we’ll be testing that and it really has to perform.”

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Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, and the Northern Territory have all introduced new rules for travellers arriving from NSW.

Victoria is requesting that anyone who was in the Northern Beaches or other exposure sites on or since Friday December 11, and who is already in Victoria, get tested and quarantine at home or in their accommodation for 14 days from when they left the high risk area.

Anyone who was in the region on or after December 11 who travels to Victoria must get tested and quarantine in their home or accommodation for 14 days from the day they left Northern Beaches.

Further advice for travellers arriving into Victoria from NSW hotspots is expected today.

Meanwhile, all New South Wales residents entering Western Australia now have to self quarantine for 14 days.

Queensland has declared the Northern Beaches a hotspot, with any arrivals into Queensland from 1am on December 19 who have been in the area, required to undertake hotel quarantine for 14 days.

Tasmania is refusing entry to people who have been to the Northern Beaches area, unless they are an essential traveller.

3/10 Anyone who was in the Northern Beaches region or other NSW exposure sites on or since Fri 11 Dec 2020 and arrives in Vic after midnight Thurs 17 Dec 2020, must get tested & quarantine in their home or accommodation for 14 days from the date they left the Northern Beaches.

— Martin Foley (@MartinFoleyMP) December 17, 2020

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