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The state’s open border with New South Wales is still on the “razor edge”. As Sydney’s escalating virus crisis worsens, Victorians have been warned to go home.
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Authorities warned that the border between Victoria and New South Wales is on the “razor edge” and may be closed at any time after the Covid crisis in Sydney worsens on Saturday.
Victoria has no new local Covid cases for 11 consecutive days and received more than 23,300 tests on Sunday. There are currently 20 active cases.
But a top epidemiologist is worried that unless urgent action is taken, a localized outbreak may occur.
Although Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said there was a “high probability” that this would happen in the next few days, the Victorian government refused to close the statewide on Saturday night.
Mr Weimar said: “The situation in New South Wales is still very unstable and the risk is very high.”
“We are particularly worried. We are observing the situation hour by hour.”
He said that about 9,000 people have returned to Victoria after travelling in the Red Zone and are being quarantined. As many as 300 people enter from Greater Sydney every day. But the authorities were unable to track how many holidaymakers remained on the interstate, which prompted any Victorians in New South Wales to return home immediately and warned that if a hard border is implemented, almost no notice will be issued.
“When you have more than 500 active cases…we don’t know how many other cases are undetected,” Mr. Weimar said.
“We don’t want to do this, but if the situation becomes very serious, we will call.”
The Sunday Herald Sun learned that new close contacts in the New South Wales area or detection of the virus in the wastewater may trigger the next border closure.
But leading epidemiologist Adrian Esterman criticized this inaction, saying he would “build a wall” around the state a few days ago.
Professor Esterman said: “We have seen in New South Wales what happens if you leave too late-if someone returns from a remote part of New South Wales, there is a high probability that there will be cases here.”
On Saturday, Sydney, which is ravaged by the new crown virus, recorded 50 new local infections. Of the 47 people hospitalized, 16 were in the intensive care unit, including a teenager.
At the same time, 61 passengers on the Qantas flight were quarantined after a health worker who left Tasmania and traveled to the UK via Melbourne tested positive for the virus. The person left Cheongsston on QF1542 at 10:15 am on July 2, but tested positive 72 hours after leaving Melbourne.
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