How the tables have turned: Families are told to self isolate for 14 days if travelling from Sydney's Northern Beaches to Victoria and Dan Andrews warns more restrictions could be on the way
Christmas plans have been thrown into chaos with families travelling from Sydney's Northern Beaches to Victoria now told they need to self isolate for 14 days.
Premier Daniel Andrews said anyone who visited the region in Sydney's north since Friday December 11 must self isolate and get tested.
He is now urging anyone in Victoria who has been in the Northern Beaches since Friday to also isolate and get tested.
Anyone hoping to enter the state after midnight on Thursday from the infected area has been told they must get tested and quarantine in their home or accommodation for 14 days.
Premier Daniel Andrews Victorian has ruled anyone who visited the region in Sydney's north since Friday December 11 must self isolate and get tested
Travellers are pictured at Sydney Domestic Airport as they rush to get home before borders close at Christmas
Scores of locals were spotted at Mona Vale Hospital on Thursday (pictured above) getting tested for Covid-19
Mr Andrews warned more restrictions could be on their way and won't rule out a border closer before Christmas after the outbreak surged to 17 on Thursday night.
Ironically, Victorians were just weeks ago banned from entering NSW for several months during the state's massive outbreak that killed 9,000 people.
About 270,000 Northern Beaches locals are effectively in lockdown until Sunday after the cluster grew to 17 within 24 hours.
University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely said people from Sydney's northern beaches should be immediately barred from travelling to Victoria due to the seriousness of the outbreak.
'I'd be surprised if we don't ban arrivals of anyone from the Northern Beaches or anybody who has spent time there in the last 10 days or so. It's just too risky,' he told the Herald Sun.
Victoria recorded 820 deaths during the pandemic, with residents also forced to endure a stage four lock-down in September.
No new cases have been reported in Victoria for 48 straight days as of Thursday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warns of an explosion of coronavirus cases after the outbreak across Sydney's northern peninsula.
Two swimmers are seen at Avalon Beach on December 18, a day after the outbreak began. Residents are being asked to stay home while contact tracing gets underway
Avalon Beach in Syndey's northern beaches was deserted on December 18 following the government orders to stay home
Ms Berejiklian said the figures will definitely rise on Friday as testing across Sydney's northern peninsula ramps up.
'I do want to ask everybody to brace themselves, we are going to definitely have more cases today,' she told the Today Show on Friday morning.
'The number of people that were at the RSL event on December 11 and then the bowling club the following Sunday were substantial and then they've got household contacts and contacts of theirs.'
Genomic sequencing results show the latest outbreak is an overseas strain - possible the US, however, health authorities are still trying to track down the source.
The number of infected venues now stands at 30 as concerned health authorities scramble to track down the source of the shock new cluster.
Five states and territories have now stepped up travel restrictions for visitors from the virus hot spot.
Hundreds of residents waited in long queue to be tested on Thursday after the shock cluster popped up in the city's north, which has not seen coronavirus case on mass since April (pictured, the queue at Mona Vale Hospital on Thursday afternoon)
Australia is on high alert after a growing coronavirus outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches (pictured, residents lining up to get tested at the Avalon Community Centre pop up health clinic in Sydney on Thursday)
The Queensland government has announced anyone arriving from Sydney on Friday, and who has been to the northern beaches since December 11, must get tested and self quarantine for 14 days.
Those measures will toughen further from 1am Saturday, when travellers from Sydney who have been to the region will be forced into hotel quarantine.
Queensland has also banned anyone who has been in the northern beaches region since December 11 from visiting aged care homes, hospitals or prisons in Queensland.
The West Australian government says anyone arriving from NSW is required to self-quarantine for 14 days and get tested on day 11.
WA leader Mark McGowan announced the changes on Thursday evening after receiving the latest advice from NSW.
People are seen at Avalon Beach on December 18 after the worrying cluster is expected to grow even more
Residents on Sydney's northern beaches have been ordered to stay at home after after a 17th new case was reported on Thursday (pictured, a health care worker proving hand sanitiser to a resident in Avalon on Thursday)
Sydney's northern beaches (pictured in red) will remain in lockdown until at least Sunday with 270,000 people asked to stay at home and avoid travel, amid fears the virus could spread across the whole city
'I understand these changes will cause some frustration and uncertainty for some people,' he said.
Tasmania has already moved to prevent people who visited high-risk locations in NSW from travelling there.
Northern Territory authorities said anyone from the northern beaches area travelling to the NT will need to undertake 14 days of mandatory, supervised quarantine in either Alice Springs or Darwin.
Meanwhile, people in NSW are being urged not to travel to the northern beaches if they don't have to.
Northern beaches residents have been told to keep to their household groups, and work from home if they can.
Sydney Airport was chaotic on Friday morning as travellers urgently tried to get to their destinations early, just in case new travel restrictions are implemented
They have also been told to avoid unnecessary travel outside the region, and not to visit high-risk venues including clubs, restaurants, places of worship and gyms.
The northern beaches cluster includes a residential aged care worker and a man who recently performed in a band at three RSL clubs, including in Avalon.
But Prime Minister Scott Morrison is keen to have traffic flowing between the states despite the new virus cases in NSW.
Federal government frontbencher David Littleproud backed Queensland's hotspot declaration for the Sydney virus outbreak, and called on WA to do the same.
'You might be from Griffith and you want to see your family in Perth, you have no connection to this at all, and you are going to be locked out,' he told the Nine Network.
'We have to take a deep breath and just say to the WA government please follow the rest of the country here.'
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON NSW RESIDENTS
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Anyone who enters WA from NSW must self-isolate for 14 days.
Those already in WA must self-quarantine for 14 days, starting from the date they were last on the northern beaches.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Anyone in SA who has recently arrived from NSW should follow NSW Health advice by self-isolating for 14 days and getting tested if they have visited any of the venues on NSW's health alert list.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Anyone who enters NT from Sydney's Northern Beaches Council area will need to undergo 14 days of supervised quarantine.
QUEENSLAND
Anyone who enters Queensland and has been on Sydney's northern beaches since December 11 must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days since their last visit to the region.
From Saturday, all people who have been on the northern beaches and want to enter Queensland will be forced into hotel quarantine.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Anyone who enters the ACT and has been on Sydney's northern beaches since December 11 must get tested and self-isolate.
VICTORIA
Anyone who enters Victoria from Sydney's northern beaches must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days.
TASMANIA
Anyone who has visited the Northern Beaches Council area since December 11, as well as the Kirribilli Club, Penrith RSL and Gannons Park in Peakhurst at various times between December 11 and December 14, is barred from entering Tasmania.