More Australian states and territories are reimposing travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from new outbreaks in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria states.
The Australian Capital Territory has shut out non-residents who have been on the northern beaches of Sydney, where the outbreaks are most concentrated, greater Sydney and other smaller centers, unless they have an exemption.
The island state of Tasmania has barred anyone directly linked to the latest Victorian cases, listing exposure sites where confirmed cases are known to have been.
Photo: AP
The move followed Tasmania’s declaration of greater Sydney and the Wollongong area south of Sydney as medium-risk zones, requiring travelers to quarantine for 14 days on arrival, while those from Sydney’s northern beaches are barred from entering.
NSW has recorded eight new community cases of COVID-19 as authorities revealed about 2,000 people had been told to self-isolate due to an outbreak in Sydney’s west.
As Victoria recorded three new community cases amid renewed strain on the state’s testing system, NSW authorities expressed increased concern about an outbreak linked to a liquor store at Berala.
Of the eight new cases recorded, five were linked to the Berala cluster, two were connected to the Avalon outbreak on the northern beaches and one was attributed to the Wollongong cluster.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said authorities were worried about the potential of transmission from the BWS store at Berala, which has been named as an exposure site between Dec. 22 and Thursday last week.
The lengthy period exposure period would suggest an employee has tested positive, although Chant would not confirm more details about the positive cases linked to the liquor store for privacy reasons.
About 2,000 people have been contacted by NSW Health and told to isolate.
As an example of the potential danger, Chant said authorities believed about 1,000 people had been served at the liquor store on Christmas Eve.
“We will be attempting to reach whoever we can through whatever records we have, but this is critical and I can’t stress enough how concerned we are about the transmission potential,” she said.
Chant also said that genomic sequencing had ruled out a link between the Berala cluster and the northern beaches.
Instead, it was connected to a patient transport employee who had caught the virus from a returned overseas traveler.
Masks have also become mandatory in New South Wales. The move, which came after mounting calls, will be enforceable with an A$200 (US$154) fine from midnight tonight.
NSW Police Acting Commissioner Mal Lanyon said fines would be a last resort and that the force would use “discretion where it’s appropriat.”
NSW Minister for Health and Medical Research Brad Hazzard said that free masks were being distributed through Transport NSW and to vulnerable people through the state’s Department of Family and Community Services.
In Victoria state, authorities said they would open new testing facilities in the coming days after a number of people were redirected to other sites on Saturday, amid renewed strain on the state’s testing system.
The three new cases reported yesterday were all linked to the Smile Buffalo Thai Restaurant, taking that cluster to 21.
There were about 22,000 tests conducted in Victoria on Saturday.
Victoria’s COVID response commander, Jeroen Weimar, acknowledged there had been significant lines.
He said workers had come back from their holidays in order to boost personnel at testing facilities.
Weimar also said that about 60,000 Victorians rushed back from NSW to cross the border before it was closed. They are all required to get a test.
People who arrive at the border would now be turned back unless they had been approved for an exemption.
Weimar said 1,500 people had so far applied to cross the border with an exemption.
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