It’s a case of so close yet so far for the grey nomad dream of a borderless Big Lap by the end of the year.
Just when things were looking good and it appeared that community transmission of the Covid-19 virus had been eliminated, a nasty outbreak on Sydney’s Northern Beaches has set everything back again.
With the Avalon cluster spiking to 68 cases, Victoria and South Australia quickly barred Northern Beaches residents and directed the rest of Sydney into 14-day quarantines.
Western Australia has reintroduced its hard border with NSW … and Queensland says that, from 1am tomorrow, residents of Greater Sydney will not be allowed into the state.
The ACT will also action new quarantine arrangements from 11.59pm tonight.
Tasmania has declared all of Greater Sydney to be a ‘medium risk’ area, meaning new arrivals will have to quarantine for 14 days.
The Northern Territory has declared Sydney’s Northern Beaches a coronavirus hotspot and will force any travellers from the area to quarantine immediately.
The NT’s Chief Health Officer Dr Hugh Heggie told 9 News that the new restrictions had “been made rapidly” and decisions in the coming days will be critical to contain the Sydney cluster.
The Northern Beaches itself – which has a population of about 250,000 people – is in a strict lockdown. Residents can only leave home for four reasons: to shop for food or other essentials; go to work; visit a sick relative or on compassionate grounds; and to exercise.
It is due to end at midnight on Wednesday, but that date could change if the situation worsens.
The wider Sydney region has been asked to limit their movements as well and avoid any non-essential travel.
Premier Gladys Berejkilian told 9 News that it is possible the state will put more restrictions in place if the cluster cannot be controlled.
Anyone in NSW experiencing even the mildest symptoms has been urged to get tested.
Out of all this local,, state,, national,, internation drama there is one lesson
Leave big cities and live regional and rural
Less risk of infection and no lockdown
There are many regional towns saying what virus. Not have had one bit of change. Life just carried on as normal