NSW will move to 'extreme risk' WA COVID border restrictions, Mark McGowan says - ABC News

Western Australia will reclassify New South Wales as a COVID-19 "extreme risk" state from Thursday.

Key points:

• WA will escalate NSW to an 'extreme risk' state at midnight on Wednesday
• The change represents the most severe state border restrictions ever seen
• After Wednesday, NSW arrivals will have to undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine

Premier Mark McGowan said the five-day rolling average of cases in NSW is now 531, triggering the reclassification up from high risk.

The change will usher in the most severe state border restrictions seen in Australia since the start of the pandemic, including mandatory hotel quarantine for NSW arrivals, very limited exemptions and three COVID-19 tests during quarantine. 

Mr McGowan urged West Australians to return before the deadline.

"That means West Australians who want to come home need to do so now," he said.

The toughest border yet with NSW

To return to WA, travellers must have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and show they have had a negative test in the 72 hours before departure. 

Flights carrying a total of 345 passengers are due to arrive in Perth from NSW today.

Yesterday 114 people arrived, 114 on Wednesday, 58 on Tuesday and 110 on Monday.

Mr McGowan said he understood some people may be finding it difficult to have a COVID test returned in 72 hours due to the outbreak in NSW.

As a result, WA Police and WA Health will now accept a negative test result outside that timeframe if the test has been taken in recent days.

"I understand this may be an anxious time for some but the risk in New South Wales is too big and we need to take new steps to protect Western Australia to keep our state safe," the premier said.

Door closing fast on ordinary civilians wanting to get home

Under an extreme risk classification, the only people allowed into WA will be certain Commonwealth and state officials and people with specialist jobs.

WA COVID-19 snapshot

Latest information from the WA Health Department

It will no longer be possible for West Australians to return on compassionate grounds.

But Mr McGowan said people would be allowed in from NSW in the most "exceptional or extraordinary circumstances". 

He did not explain what those would be but confirmed each case would be assessed by the "most senior levels" of WA Police and WA Health. 

"This will be in place until such time as we get health advice to bring it down," Mr McGowan said.

He described the outbreak in NSW as a "human tragedy" and a "catastrophe".

"We want to support new South Wales as much as we can but at the same time we want to stop the virus coming into Western Australia," he said.

WA family stranded in NSW hoping to return before door shuts

The Pennell family are currently stuck in New South Wales and hoping to return before the deadline.

Steve Pennell, his wife and young daughter moved home to Australia in June after working in Cambodia and Singapore.

The Pennell family are questioning their decision to come back to Australia as they battle to get back into WA from NSW. (

Supplied.

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The former WA residents flew into Sydney to complete their 14-day quarantine after their flight to Perth was cancelled.

"We did the day 16 COVID test and while we were waiting for the results, Sydney went into lockdown," he said.

"Our flight [to Perth] was cancelled and our G2G pass was cancelled."

The trio initially stayed with family in Sydney before moving to Port Macquarie in northern NSW in an attempt to improve their chances of getting into WA.

Family living in a caravan park as they await their fate

They're now living in a caravan park while also paying rent on a property in Perth.

"It's a small cabin and not very comfortable, I'm trying to work from home, which is not easy on a folding picnic table," he said.

The family applied for another G2G pass on Thursday but say they were knocked back because their vaccine is not recognised in Australia. 

Mr Pennell and his wife were both vaccinated in Cambodia.

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"We've just applied again last night, we've got a flight booked for Tuesday, we're doing our COVID tests tomorrow and we're hoping to make that flight," Mr Pennell said.

"If we don't … I really don't know what we're going to do.

"We're frustrated and we're starting to question why we came back.

"We thought Australia was a much fairer country, but we've come to realise that 'Aussies looking out for each other' is a bit of a myth.

"Now we're stuck living basically in a caravan … my daughter is not in school [and] I'm meant to be starting a job."

McGowan praises Victoria's efforts to 'crush' virus

Victoria will stay at medium risk despite 55 new cases recorded overnight. 

Mr McGowan said health authorities there were pleased the virus was largely contained to people in some form of isolation or quarantine as opposed to the community.

He also praised Victoria for doing everything it could to "crush and kill" the outbreak.

"That gives us a lot of confidence about Victoria," he said.

"We're not in a position at this point in time to put Victoria at high risk."

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTA4LTIwL3dhLXRvLXJlY2xhc3NpZnktbnN3LWFzLWV4dHJlbWUtcmlzay1zdGF0ZS0vMTAwMzkzNjY40gEoaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEwMDM5MzY2OA?oc=5

2021-08-20 06:32:53Z
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