Residents in seven Sydney COVID-19 hotspots have been banned from travelling to Victoria after the Bondi cluster grew to 21 cases.
And there are now concerns passengers on planes to and from New Zealand may have been infected with the coronavirus, with two flights named on the latest list of exposure sites.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton declared seven Sydney local government areas red zones under Victoria’s travel permit system.
The move banned residents from the municipalities of the City of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick from entering Victoria from 1am on Wednesday.
Victorian residents who have visited a red zone in NSW can still return to the state but must self-isolate at home for 14 days.
Wollongong, south of Sydney, has also been listed as an orange zone, meaning incoming travellers from there must get tested soon after arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Residents of NSW have also been barred from travelling to New Zealand between Wednesday and Friday.
The pause to quarantine-free travel with NSW will trap Kiwi travellers to Sydney, given the government’s “flyer beware” model that travellers do so at their own risk. The ban came into effect on Tuesday night.
New exposure sites named
Late on Tuesday, NSW Health revealed Qantas Flight QF163 flew to Wellington last Friday night with an infectious passenger on board.
The active case also travelled on Air New Zealand flight NZ247 from Wellington to Sydney on Monday morning.
All passengers on the two flights between Sydney and Wellington must get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days regardless of their result.
NSW Health revealed an infectious person also dined at Totti’s Italian restaurant at The Royal Bondi on Saturday between 5 pm and 6:30 pm.
Meanwhile, a casual contact attended The Royal Bondi (other than Totti’s) on Saturday and shopped at Woolworths in Spring Farm on Monday morning.
Tweet from @NSWHealth
Sydney AFL teams leave NSW, but NRL players to stay put
AFL clubs GWS and Sydney have temporarily moved players and football staff to Victoria to ensure they are able to play their respective matches in round 15.
Sunday’s clash between GWS and Hawthorn has been moved from Giants Stadium to the MCG.
Sydney is due to take on Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday and are hopeful of flying in and out of South Australia on the same day, as Collingwood and Geelong did earlier this month.
The AFL has lobbied the Victorian state government for a 50 per cent crowd capacity at the MCG and Marvel Stadium, with a decision looming on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, NRL players and club staff in Greater Sydney will be unable to leave home except to attend training or for an essential activity.
Players have been banned from using public transport and attending crowded places such as shopping centres, restaurants and cafes.
But they are able to walk their dog or go to a park with their kids.
More eased restrictions expected for Victoria
Victorian health authorities are expected to unveil more eased restrictions on Wednesday, with Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton telling reporters on Tuesday “we’re absolutely on the right track”.
Professor Sutton added it was likely fewer differences in rules for regional Victoria and Melbourne would remain.
He flagged good news was on the way for larger guest lists at weddings this weekend but would not be drawn on whether crowds would be allowed at AFL, A-League and NBL games.
Victoria recorded no new locally acquired cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, following 13,176 tests.
It’s the sixth consecutive day the state has recorded either zero or one new local case, while the number of exposure sites has dropped to 96.
Tweet from @VicGovDH
It comes as Victorians are being welcomed back to other states in time for the southern state’s school holidays.
South Australia and Queensland announced on Tuesday they would reopen their borders to Victoria from Friday.
Tasmania and the Northern Territory have also opened their borders to Greater Melbourne, while the travel bubble with New Zealand resumes from Wednesday.
-with AAP
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