Western Australia has reintroduced a hard border to NSW, requiring anyone arriving from midnight on Friday to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Premier Mark McGowan announced the changes on Thursday night after receiving the latest advice from NSW, where 17 COVID-19 cases have now been detected on Sydney's northern beaches.
Any new arrivals from NSW will be required to quarantine at a suitable premise for 14 days and undertake a test on day 11.
It is a dramatic escalation of the changes outlined by Mr McGowan just hours earlier, before NSW reported a further 12 locally-acquired cases.
Anyone already in WA who has been in NSW since December 11 must self-quarantine in a suitable premise and get tested as soon as possible.
They are required to remain in quarantine until a negative test result is confirmed and undertake a further test on day 11.
"We are very concerned there will be many more community cases in NSW," Mr McGowan said in a statement.
"I understand these changes will cause frustration and uncertainty for some people, and be very upsetting for many families looking to reunite and spend Christmas together.
"This has been a difficult decision to make, but we need to follow the health advice and do what is in the best interest of all Western Australians."
The decision came after an emergency meeting on Thursday evening between WA's premier, health minister, chief health officer, police commissioner and director-general of health.
Mr McGowan said his government would continue to closely monitor the situation in NSW.
WA last week reopened its borders to NSW and Victoria, removing the 14-day quarantine requirement for travellers from those states.
Eight flights from Sydney were due to land at Perth Airport on Thursday, but the premier said the risk of the virus being imported remained very low.
Twelve consecutive days without any locally-acquired cases of in NSW ended on Wednesday after a 45-year-old driver transporting international air crew members to and from Sydney Airport was confirmed COVID-positive.
Residents of the northern beaches are being urged to stay home where possible for the next three days.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has flagged that international air crew members may be required to enter full hotel quarantine until their departing flights.
In a pointed barb at his NSW counterpart, Mr McGowan earlier on Thursday noted that WA had implemented similar restrictions on airline crew "four or five months ago".
"I just urge the NSW government if they want to look for a model as to how to manage that, have a look at Western Australia's because we've had it in place for many months," he said.
Australian Associated Press
