New South Wales reported 17 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, four of which are linked to a funeral in Bankstown. Nine cases have now been linked to that funeral, and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged people not to hug at funerals or weddings unless it is someone from their immediate family.
By comparison, Queensland reported no new cases yesterday, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warning she will not hesitate to close the border with NSW if community transmission in that state becomes more widespread. It comes after the Sydney local government area of Fairfield was declared a COVID-19 hot spot, taking the total number of banned Sydney suburbs to well over 100:
“If there are outbreaks of community transmission or it cannot be sourced or there are clusters, we will not hesitate to declare hotspots — or we will not hesitate, if it gets out of control, to slam the border shut”…
NSW’s community transmissions are accumulating, but at least new infection rates are stable:
That said, with Victoria’s cases having gone parabolic, thanks to failed hotel quarantine:
It is inevitable that some of these Victorian cases will have leaked into NSW.
Given Queensland has already banned residents from more than 100 suburbs across NSW. It might as well move early, shut the border now, and seal itself off from infection. Having eliminated the virus, the costs of moving too late are a price not worth paying.
