Borders look set to slam shut AGAIN as Sydney Covid cluster spills out of the city amid fears of a Victoria-style outbreak that could see Christmas CANCELLED - here's everything you need to know
Australia's domestic borders could be shut for Christmas as a Covid-19 cluster in Sydney's Northern Beaches spreads across the city and as far as the Central Coast.
The Victorian and Western Australian state governments are both reportedly considering blocking travellers from all of NSW as the Avalon outbreak grew to 29 cases on Friday.
Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT have all banned anyone who visited the Northern Beaches from December 11 from entering their state or territory.
WA has gone a step further and requires all Sydneysiders to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, regardless of if they return a negative coronavirus test result.
The mystery outbreak has already destroyed Christmas plans for many, with hundreds of Sydney residents plunged into two-week isolation.
State Premier Mark McGowan said the Sydney outbreak 'may well mean that the hard border with NSW needs to return in the near future'.
Sydneysiders trying to depart from the Domestic Airport Terminal on Friday. The Victorian and Western Australian state governments are both reportedly considering hard borders with NSW
WA Premier Mark McGowan said the Sydney outbreak 'may well mean that the hard border with NSW needs to return in the near future'
Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT have all banned anyone who visited the Northern Beaches from December 11 from entering their state or territory
Pictured: Travellers line-up at Sydney Domestic Airport amid fears borders could shut one week out of Christmas
'Whilst that might be upsetting for people, we'll do what we have to do to keep having a great record in WA and keep the health and welfare of West Australians paramount,' Mr McGowan said.
'I'm very sympathetic to people who want to visit family and catch up with parents and children over the course of the Christmas period.'
Mr McGowan said he also believes 'NSW should go to tougher measures'.
'The sooner that NSW crushes it, the sooner they kill it, the better it is for them and the better it is for the entire country,' he said.
'What Victoria and South Australia showed is you can eliminate the virus. You can kill the virus if you put in place the right measures.'
After more than four months of lockdown, the Victorian Government is desperately trying to avoid a third wave of infections in the state.
The Department of Health and Human Services could shut the Victoria-NSW border in the next 48 hours but will further assess the situation when NSW's updated figures drop on Saturday, The Herald Sun reported.
If a hard border goes ahead, there would be 70 police checkpoints blocking NSW residents from entering Victoria, which could completely destroy interstate Christmas plans for thousands of families.
After more than four months of lockdown, the Victorian Government is desperately trying to avoid a third wave of infections in the state. Pictured: Premier Daniel Andrews
Long lines of passengers are seen trying to depart Sydney Domestic Airport on Friday. Those travelling to WA will have to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, regardless of if they return a negative result, destroying Christmas plans for many
Airline passengers wait in line to check in at Sydney's Kingsford Smith domestic airport. Many people are anticipating border closures and are trying to leave the city beforehand
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said everything is on the cards to avoid a third outbreak in the state, including border closures and further restrictions on NSW travellers
One Victorian has been classified as a close contact of an infected person linked to the northern beaches cluster.
Anyone who visited Sydney's northern beaches since December 11 is now banned from entering Victoria.
All NSW residents, excluding those who have visited the Northern Beaches, now have to complete an online application to get a permit to enter Victoria.
Sydneysiders anticipating a border closure arrived at Melbourne airports in droves on Friday, where they lined up to be tested for Covid-19.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said everything is on the cards to avoid another outbreak in the state.
'Victorians have worked really hard to get to 49 days 'community transmission free' of this virus - we are not going to put that at risk,' Mr Foley said.
'We will take all the steps the evidence tells us to protect that.'
An airport staff disinfects part of the Perth Airport terminal. Mr McGowan said he also believes 'NSW should go to tougher measures'
Cutting short her beach holiday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stressed on Friday that Queensland's borders would remain open to other travellers
People queue up in their cars to be tested at a drive-thru Covid-19 testing facility in Avalon on Friday
Queensland is already on high alert after a Sydney woman visited the Sunshine State while infectious with Covid-19 on Wednesday, with ten venues put on alert.
The state is keeping its borders open for now but will impose 14-day hotel quarantine on all arrivals from the Northern Beaches from 1am on Saturday.
Anyone from that part of Sydney already in the state has also been ordered to self-isolate for 14 days.
Cutting short her beach holiday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stressed on Friday that Queensland's borders would remain open to other travellers.
'I just want to give people that sense of security, in terms of we are following practices that other states and territories are also at this stage,' she told reporters.
'So I just want to alleviate people's concerns there.'
Meanwhile, South Australia has left its border open to travellers from NSW but warns it won't hesitate to act if Sydney's Covid-19 cluster continues to expand.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says Sydney's northern peninsula has been declared a high community transmission zone.
He says people who recently travelled to SA and had visited Avalon RSL and Avalon Bowlo will be placed into hotel quarantine.
A Northern Beaches resident holds her nose as she goes for a coronavirus swab on Friday
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR NSW RESIDENTS
A man in a face mask walks along George Street in Sydney's CBD on Friday
WA's border restrictions and looming border closures with other states come after the Northern Beaches cluster jumped to 29 cases on Friday - with the latest case having travelled back to the NSW central coast.
The newly infected person visited Palm Beach in Sydney's north before catching a ferry back to Wagstaffe on the Central Coast at 6:15pm on Wednesday night.
All those who were on board the ferry are considered casual contacts and are urged to get tested immediately if symptoms appear, however mild.
The ferry journey is the only location identified for casual contacts. There are no other exposure sites identified on the Central Coast.
The person got tested after news of the Northern Beaches cluster broke on Thursday before returning a positive result for coronavirus. There are now 29 coronavirus infections linked to the outbreak in Avalon.
Central Coast Local Health District confirmed the new case on Friday night, saying: 'The case has been linked to the cluster in the Northern Beaches.'
People were seen at Palm Beach in Sydney's Northern Beaches on Friday despite NSW Health's advice for people to stay home. A Central Coast resident visited Palm Beach on Wednesday before returning to Wagstaffe and testing positive on Friday
PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT FOR BRISBANE AND SUNSHINE COAST - DECEMBER 18
Anyone who has been in these venues at these dates and times should monitor their health and if they develop any Covid-19 symptoms, even mild, get tested and isolate until they receive their test results.
It comes as Queensland Health issued a Public Health Alert for Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast on Friday night.
'Following further contact tracing work today, Queensland Health has expanded its list of venues where a confirmed Covid-19 case has visited,' a statement read.
The impacted venues include a Hungry Jacks restaurant, a Hertz Car Rental and a pub.
Queensland's border to NSW remains open but authorities are racing to trace anyone who came into contact with a Sydney woman who visited the northern state while infectious with coronavirus.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said authorities are tracing everyone who came into contact with the Sydney woman who visited Queensland while infectious.
The woman in her 50s arrived in Brisbane on Virgin Airlines flight 925 at 9:30am on Wednesday before having lunch at the Glen Hotel at Eight Miles Plains.
Northern Beaches residents are seen in line for a coronavirus test on Friday
A woman in a face mask walks past a Christmas tree in Sydney's CBD on Friday
She later stayed at a hotel on the Sunshine Coast, where she only came into contact with a receptionist, before driving a hire car back to Sydney via Brisbane.
Dr Young is confident that broad contact tracing will find anyone who's potentially at risk, but she urged people to still come forward and get tested.
'The message remains exactly the same as it has always been: anyone in Queensland today who has any symptoms that could be related to Covid-19, so broadly any symptoms, should immediately come forward to one of our many testing sites across the state and get tested,' she said.
The chief health officer also said anyone from Sydney's northern beaches who has arrived during the week must immediately go into self-isolation for 14 days wherever they're currently staying in Queensland.
Women wear masks as they disembark from a ferry at Manly Wharf on Friday. Northern Beaches residents are advised to stay home while those who do not live in the area are advised not to visit
Pictured: People in face masks brace rain as they wait for a coronavirus test at Mona Vale Hospital on Friday
Back in NSW, all Northern Beaches residents were advised to stay home on Thursday night but residents defied the health advice on Friday.
The new case on the Central Coast comes after an explosion of cases in Sydney's Northern Beaches on Thursday and Friday.
The Northern Beaches cluster is currently sitting at 29 cases, 25 of which have been linked to two events at the Avalon RSL and the Avalon Bowlo.
Health authorities have identified 20 more hotspot venues across Sydney including the eastern suburbs and Sutherland Shire.
NSW Health issued the urgent alert for venues in Woolloomooloo, Eveleigh, Turramurra, Rosebery, Cronulla and Bondi Junction on Friday afternoon.
'NSW Health is issuing an urgent call to all residents of NSW – not only those in the Northern Beaches – to monitor for Covid-19 symptoms,' the alert read.
There is increased pressure on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to tighten restrictions following latest outbreak
'The source of these infections remains under investigation, though genome sequencing points to the strain being of US origin.'
The urgent alert has identified three venues where visitors are considered a 'close contact' - meaning they must get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
This will plunge hundreds more Sydneysiders into isolation for Christmas.
Close contacts include anyone who visited Hair by Erika at Lane Cove on December 11 from 3.30 to 5pm, Rusti Fig Café Newport on December 12 from 9 to 10am and Salon of Hair Turramurra on December 15 from 10am to 3pm December 16 from 9.30am to 3.30pm.
NSW Health has also reported confirmed infected residents visited an inner-city restaurant and two venues in Cronulla, in Sydney's south.
These locations were the Sienna Marina in Woolloomooloo on December 11 from 12-2pm, Pilgrims Vegetarian Café in Cronulla on December 16 from 11.30am-2.30pm and Cronulla RSL Club December 16 from 5pm to closing time.
NSW public health alert - urgent call for testing (December 18)
Anyone who attended the following locations is considered a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result:
Close and casual contacts, who must get tested and isolate until December 30:
People who have visited the following locations are casual contacts, and should get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result:
Confirmed cases travelled on the following transport services. Other passengers are considered to be casual contacts, and should get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
People queue up in their cars to be tested at a drive-thru Covid-19 testing facility at Avalon