Gladys Berejiklian has warned New South Wales the state’s coronavirus crisis sits on a knife edge and that it only takes one case to cause ‘a huge tidal wave’ of infections.
The ominous warning came as it was revealed up to 200 travellers are arriving in Sydney from virus-ravaged Melbourne by plane every day.
The NSW premier insisted screening processes at the state’s airports were ‘vigorous’, but said she was reconsidering the decision not to force Victorians into hotel quarantine when they arrive.
‘Please know it is a vigorous process, and in fact there have been examples where health staff have put people in quarantine,’ she told Nine News on Tuesday night.
‘If we need to do more, we will. Our government, our officials, are working around the clock to not leave a single stone un-turned.’
Ms Berejiklian admitted she feels ‘fear and anxiety’ over the pandemic, while revealing the state was halfway through a ‘critical stage’ in containing coronavirus.
‘Any community transmission is concerning, because one case getting out of hand can cause a huge tidal wave and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen,’ she said.
Gladys Berejiklian has ominously warned New South Wales residents that it only takes one coronavirus case to cause ‘a huge tidal wave’
Australia all but defeated the virus in May and June, before cases in Victoria exploded
‘The harder we work now, the better off we’ll be in the long run.
‘We always said when we found out how bad the situation was in Victoria that four to six weeks would be a very critical time for NSW and we’re about halfway through that period.’
NSW recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases from 12,876 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday, while Victoria saw 439 new cases and 11 deaths.
Despite the precarious situation in her state, Ms Berejiklian said she would still be comfortable eating out at a restaurant.
‘I’m being extra careful… There is a special celebration with a small number of people that I’m considering,’ she said.
‘I’ve been limiting my activity. I would feel safe so long as the place I was going to had a good COVIDSafe plan.
‘I wouldn’t go into anywhere unless they had a COVIDSafe plan, unless they’d registered with Service NSW and done all those checks.
More than 106,000 Victorians have been allowed into NSW since tougher border restrictions were enforced on July 22. Passengers wear face masks as they wait at the baggage carousel at Sydney Airport after touching down from Melbourne
‘There’s no reason why you can’t do everything in a safe way.’
Meanwhile, people who travelled to Sydney from Melbourne on Tuesday described being ‘packed like sardines’ on their flight, with some advocating compulsory hotel quarantine for Victorians travelling to the Harbour City.
Between 100 and 200 people from the coronavirus-riddled city have flown into Sydney everyday for the past week, despite the hard closure of the Victoria-NSW border.
Melbournians who flew into Sydney on Jetstar flight 510 on Tuesday said the plane was ‘completely packed’.
Emily Vogele, 23, said she was shocked NSW doesn’t enforce mandatory hotel quarantine for Victorians.
Passengers wearing face masks at Sydney Airport after arriving from Melbourne on Tuesday
Victoria’s death toll now stands at 147 after the state recorded 11 additional deaths and 439 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday
‘I think it should be enforced hotel quarantine here, seeing what it’s like in Victoria, you don’t want that to happen in the other states,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
Another passenger said physical distancing wasn’t adhered to on board.
‘It was a completely sold out flight, sitting shoulder to shoulder with people. Everyone was wearing masks, but it was a packed-out flight. That really irritated me,’ she said.
Jetstar said face masks were compulsory for all passengers on flights from Melbourne and travellers were provided kits that included face coverings and sanitising wipes.
More than 106,000 Victorians have been allowed into NSW since tough border restrictions were enforced on July 22.
Domestic travellers aren’t required to undergo the mandatory two-week hotel quarantine imposed on those coming from overseas.
Two passengers about to get into a taxi at the Jetstar Domestic Terminal at Sydney Airport on Tuesday
A woman wearing a face mask and protective goggles at Sydney Airport after arriving on a Jetstar flight number JQ510 from Melbourne on Tuesday
NSW Health reiterated Ms Berejiklian’s comments and told Daily Mail Australia it has strict measures in place at airports to ensure Sydney wasn’t hit with a Victoria-style outbreak.
‘Any traveller who arrives from Victoria into Sydney domestic airport is screened for symptoms and has a temperature check upon arrival,’ the spokesperson said.
‘It is recommended that anyone arriving from Victoria be collected in a private car by family or friends. If they cannot be collected in a private car, they can travel by taxi.
‘Self-isolation guidelines are provided to everyone when they arrive from Victoria.’
Meanwhile NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant reiterated the ‘critical’ phase the state was in as it responds to an increase in coronavirus cases and the outbreak in Victoria continues unabated.
Dr Chant said health authorities were focusing on bringing an end to the current chains of transmission across NSW by detecting cases early and ensuring people are isolating if necessary.
‘It is critical you maintain your social distancing and also that you wear a mask if you’re going into situations where you’re not going to be able to maintain that 1.5 metres,’ she said in Sydney on Tuesday.
Six COVID-19 patients in NSW are in intensive care and five are ventilated.
The NSW government has strongly recommended people wear masks in high-risk situations
NSW Health said the Thai Rock Wetherill Park cluster now numbered 103, while the cluster at Potts Point in inner Sydney numbered 28.
‘It is important to reiterate that while most cases in the past week have been associated with local clusters and close contact with known cases, some have not been linked, representing unknown chains of transmission,’ Dr Chant said in a statement.
She urged anyone in isolation to observe the full 14 days self-quarantine as ‘early testing may not detect an infection’.
The NSW government has strongly recommended people wear masks in high-risk situations, with Ms Berejikilian saying she doesn’t leave home without one.
She urged public-facing workers, worshippers, people living near community clusters and those in enclosed spaces to wear face masks, but stopped short of making it compulsory.