Victoria will close its border with NSW from Tuesday night as it battles to control its surging COVID outbreak, with 127 more cases confirmed on Monday
Also on Monday, Premier Daniel Andrews also confirmed the state’s 21st death from the virus – a man in his 90s who died in a Melbourne hospital on Sunday night.
The new infections – the highest yet in the state during the coronavirus pandemic – include 34 connected to known outbreaks, 40 from routine testing and 53 still being investigated
The border move comes as thousands of housing commission residents in Melbourne spent their second night in lockdown. Mr Andrews said the decision was made after a phone hook-up with Prime Minster Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday morning.
“That closure will be enforced on the NSW side, so as not to be a drain on resources that are very much focused on fighting the virus right now across our state,” he said.
Mr Andrews said there would be a permit system for residents of towns on the NSW-Victoria border who had to travel. Ms Berejiklian was expected to announce further details later on Monday.
The NSW Government had already enforced strict conditions on travellers from Victoria, with anyone from Melbourne’s designated virus hotspots facing an $11,000 fine or six months behind bars.
Last week, Health Minister Brad Hazzard signed a public health order enforcing new rules for anyone from an affected Victorian postcode found in NSW.
“It’s not something we want to do but we must do for our own safety,” Mr Hazzard said at the time, as he urged Melbourne residents not to try to “slip across” the border.
Checks have also been in place on Victorians arriving in NSW by rail and bus.
Meanwhile, thousands of residents locked in their Melbourne public housing flats say they still have not received proper food as more concerns are raised over hotel quarantine.
The Victorian Public Tenants Association said the more than 3000 tenants in nine tower blocks were unprepared for the government’s sudden lockdown and many were left without enough groceries and other supplies.
“It was just done in a pretty ham-fisted manner,” executive officer Mark Feenane told Nine’s Today Show on Monday.
Police are guarding every entrance of the housing estates. Residents cannot leave their homes for any reason for at least five days.
The hard lockdown was imposed on Saturday to contain a coronavirus outbreak after 27 people in the North Melbourne and Flemington towers tested positive.
The government is delivering food and medical supplies to residents and making $1500 hardship payments to those who cannot work or $750 each to those not in the workforce.
Mr Andrews said Foodbank and FareShare had each delivered 3000 meals to residents. The Victorian Trades Hall was also delivering food.
Personal care packs with items such as soap, deodorant, toothpaste, nappies and baby formula, were delivered to each household in the locked-down towers on Monday morning, along with a bread and milk delivery to their door.
Residents were also given copies of the public health orders or “detention directive” on Sunday night, sparking confusion about the term of the lockdown, which could be for as long as 14 days.
On Saturday, Mr Andrews said the lockdown would last at least five days but the orders allow authorities to extend this to 14 days for people who refuse a COVID-19 test.
For weeks, Victoria has grappled with a coronavirus outbreak in multiple Melbourne suburbs, while also battling botched hotel quarantines that led to several outbreaks.
Private security contractors have been accused of breaking protocols while hosting returned travellers.
Victoria’s justice department is recruiting staff to work on the hotel coronavirus quarantine program amid reports airline staff from Jetstar and Qantas would help.
People being held under hotel quarantine, most of whom have travelled from overseas, have criticised the conditions.
Freelance journalist Megan Clement is staying at the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn and tweeted that guards and hotel staff were not wearing gloves or masks.
“Fresh air breaks have been cancelled since last weekend. There are whole families with toddlers and babies in these rooms. The windows do not open,” she tweeted.
-more to come
-with AAP
The post Victoria-NSW border closes amid new record in COVID cases, 21st fatality appeared first on The New Daily.
**Know benefits of facebook marketing --http://bit.ly/2RgChw3