WA Premier Mark McGowan threatens to create a PERMANENT hard border with NSW if state doesn't 'crush and kill' Covid outbreak before majority of Australians are vaccinated
Hardline Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has threatened make the hard border with NSW permanent if the state doesn't 'crush and kill' its Covid outbreak.
Mr McGowan said he would consider banning travellers until the coronavirus vaccine was fully rolled out after NSW recorded another 27 cases of the virus on Wednesday.
The outbreak that began on June 16 with an airport limousine driver has reached 182 cases and prompted a three-week lockdown of Sydney.
WA Premier Mark McGowan said unless NSW eliminates their current outbreak he would consider a permanent hard border with the state until sufficient people are vaccinated
'Until we have high levels of vaccination we should not support a model whereby the virus is permanently allowed to spread,' he said.
Only seven per cent of Australians are fully vaccinated and authorities are struggling to source sufficient supplies of the Pfizer vaccine.
Mr McGowan said WA would only reopen the border with NSW if authorities in the state suppressed the virus in the same way as Victoria did during its deadly second wave last year.
Victoria endured an ultra-strict lockdown eventually lasting four months to suppress the outbreak - which claimed 768 lives and reached 6,768 active cases.
'NSW needs to do what Victoria did last year and crush and kill the virus,' he said.
'Any alternative approach which allows the virus to spread would imperil the whole country before such time as we have achieved mass vaccination.'
Perth has endured a recent lockdown and was able to get their Covid case number back to zero
His warning came after NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard admitted his state's outbreak may never be brought under control if the entire Sydney population did not adhere to lockdown restrictions.
'I think at some stage, if the individuals that we need don't hear NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant' message and don't respond, then at some point we're going to move to a stage where we're going to have to accept that the virus has a life which will continue in the community,' he said.
Sydney's lockdown was extended on Wednesday for another week after case numbers did not drop enough and concern rules were not being followed.
Mr McGowan claimed, without evidence, that the extra week may not be enough to end the outbreak in the lockdown's current form.
'When you look at the number of daily infections that continues to climb, there is no guarantee this three-week lockdown won't extend even further,' he said.
People line up at Sydney Olympic Park to get vaccinated with the city in the midst of a three week lockdown
The WA premier again advocated his strategy of early snap lockdowns, which has twice led to most of his state being under stay-at-home orders with just one case.
'Our experience is that quick responses to eliminate the virus has worked well in WA,' he said.
'Our short, sharp lockdown and our efforts to swiftly crush the virus have put us in a position where we expect to return to pre-lockdown life on Monday.'
Dr Chant previously called for Sydneysiders, particularly in the city's south-west, which is an area of concern, to follow the stay-at-home orders and not visit family or friends unless absolutely necessary under the exceptions.
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