Qld closes border to NSW, WA reinstates hard border with SA, trans-Tasman bubble suspended, and Victoria calls for “ring of steel” around Sydney

Qld closes border to NSW, WA reinstates hard border with SA, trans-Tasman bubble suspended, and Victoria calls for “ring of steel” around Sydney

The rapidly evolving COVID-19 outbreaks across NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland have led to some major border announcements in the last 24 hours.

Queensland has shut its border with NSW for a month, meaning only returning residents and those with an exemption can enter, so long as they spend 14 days in quarantine.

Exceptions will also be made for those residents in northern NSW from the Clarence Valley west to the SA border.

The move comes as the Queensland government revealed that a Qantas flight attendant has tested positive to COVID-19, with six of the flying kangaroo’s flights now listed as potential exposure sites.

Dreamworld was also added as an exposure site this afternoon, after it was revealed that a person who tested positive visited the Gold Coast theme park Friday 16 July.

Meanwhile, Western Australia’s hard border with South Australia has been reinstated, with only approved travel from the state now permitted.

Across the ditch, the New Zealand government will pause quarantine-free travel from all Australian states and territories from 11.59pm (NZT) today for at least the next eight weeks.

For the next seven days, there will be managed return flights for Kiwis from all states and territories that will require proof of a negative pre-departure test.

Additionally, those who have been in NSW will still have to go into managed isolation for 14 days, and those who have been in Victoria must self-isolate upon return and have a negative test on day three.

And finally, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has called for “a ring of steel around Sydney so that this virus is not spreading to other parts of our nation”.

“We will finish up with the whole country in lockdown if we don’t do this properly,” he warned during today’s press conference.


Featured image source: ABC News

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