NSWVictoria border to close as cases spike
SYDNEY: The NSWVictoria border will shut overnight and be closed from tomorrow, despite the NSW Government’s repeatedly criticising other domestic border closures.
The ‘‘new phenomenon’’ of widespread Covid19 community transmission in outersuburban Melbourne has prompted the NSW premier to go back on her word and shut the border to Victoria within 36 hours. The border closes from tomorrow after an agreement by Gladys Berejiklian, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly criticised interstate travel restrictions as a handbrake on economic recovery in Australia, and insisted she would not agree to border closures with any neighbouring states. She has also declared a shut Victorian border would harm AlburyWodonga.
But Ms Berejiklian yesterday changed tack as nine public housing towers in Melbourne and 12 Victorian postcodes were locked down due to Covid19. She said the rate of Covid19 community transmission in parts of Melbourne gave NSW health officials no choice but to close the border.
She showed no regret or embarrassment for her prior comments on border closures.
Thousands of residents in Melbourne public housing towers yesterday still had not received enough food and supplies, two days into the Covid19 lockdown.
Nine towers in Flemington and North Melbourne were locked down on Saturday in an effort to slow the spread of Covid19, with 3000 residents unable to leave their apartments for any reason for at least five days. Confirmed Covid19 cases in the towers have almost doubled, from 27 on Sunday to 53 on yesterday, as testing ramped up
and police continued patrolling entrances and corridors.
The state government says it had distributed 3000 meals, 1000 food hampers and 250 personal care packs to residents, while more than 3000 prepared meals and 4500 pastries were provided by charity Fareshare. The Gov
ernment was also delivering bread and milk to residents after the staples were missing from hampers on Sunday.
Abdirahman Ibrahim, who lives in the Racecourse Road tower, told AAP his family was yet to receive a box of groceries, but they have received formula
and a litre of cow’s milk.
Ahmed Dini, a resident of a North Melbourne tower and social worker, told ABC News Breakfast some residents had not received groceries by yesterday morning.
Residents had shared images on social media of outofdate meals, food left on the floor and Muslim families given pork.
Yesterday Victoria reported two deaths and 127 new Covid19 cases. There were 650 active cases in the state. — AAP