Queenslanders in the border zone have been warned to be on high alert as the New South Wales COVID-19 Delta outbreak spreads outside Greater Sydney.
Key points:
- The border bubble stretches to the Clarence Valley, which is adjacent to the Coffs Harbour hotspot
- Communicable disease expert Mike Toole says Queensland should "definitely be on alert now"
- Queensland Health says it is monitoring the situation daily
A COVID case in the Hunter region, north of Sydney, has prompted NSW authorities to broaden the lockdown area.
Viral fragments have also been found in sewage around Coffs Harbour in the state's far north, and the city has been declared a hotspot by Queensland Health.
The area is not included in the NSW new lockdown measures.
Coffs Harbour is about 285 kilometres by road from the Queensland border, but its local council shire adjoins the Clarence Valley Council, a local government area that is still listed by the Queensland government as being part of the NSW border zone.
The zone was established to allow residents south of the border to undertake essential travel into Queensland for a "permitted purpose", according to the public health directions listed yesterday on the Queensland Health website.
Permitted purposes include getting food or other goods or services for personal needs if there are not suitable shops locally.
Residents can also cross the border to work, volunteer, provide assistance or care, or to support a family member.
Melbourne-based communicable disease scientist Mike Toole from the Burnet Institute said neighbouring states were at risk from the NSW handling of the virus.
Professor Toole said neighbouring states were being put at risk by NSW's handling of the virus.
"We are certainly worried in Melbourne because while this outbreak of high numbers continues in Sydney, we can't really feel safe and the same applies to Brisbane," he said.
"We know that some people manage to get across the border. Queensland should definitely be on alert now."
Professor Toole said he feared the "horse had bolted" in trying to contain the virus in Sydney.
He said state premiers had begged NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to put a so-called "ring of steel" around the city to ensure people could not leave.
ABC News: Chris Gillette
)"That would protect not just the NSW regional centres but also to protect Victoria and Queensland to some degree, but she won't do it and I don't understand [why]," Professor Toole said.
He said it was tough to know what would happen in regional areas from here.
"We can't really compute that. We just don't know the behaviours. If we knew what proportion of Sydneysiders were not compliant with the stay-at-home model, you could [calculate the risk], but you couldn't even do a survey as people would not tell you the truth."
Professor Toole urged the NSW government to put the whole of Greater Sydney into lockdown with restrictions that keep people within 5 kilometres of home, and to mandate the wearing of masks.
"That would bring it up very close to the stage four restrictions in Victoria last year and our modelling at the Burnet Institute showed that had a huge impact … and brought cases down to zero."
Border zone reviewed 'daily'
Yesterday, the Clarence Valley Council area, which adjoins Coffs Harbour City Council area, was still listed by Queensland Health as being within the NSW border zone.
Queensland Health said restrictions would be reviewed if the situation interstate escalated.
"Queensland Health authorities are in daily contact with their interstate counterparts and are closely monitoring COVID-19 developments in NSW and other jurisdictions," a spokesperson said.
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2021-08-05 20:00:53Z
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