Stay away from the border. That’s the main message NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian wants to drive home now that NSW has banned entry to people from Victoria.
The premier told reporters she was “extremely concerned” about the situation to the south and said if things got worse, the amount of border permits would be slashed and police checkpoints would barricade off border towns from the rest of the state.
“The probability that we need to be tougher on border restrictions is extremely high,” Berejiklian said.
For now, she asked people living in border communities not to leave their towns, and people in the rest of the state to not go anywhere near the border.
“I’m putting everybody on notice,” she added.
“You do not have a free pass now throughout all of New South Wales.”
For folks returning home to NSW from Victoria, Berejiklian also said it’s time to hurry TF up.
At the moment, NSW residents who do return will have to self-isolate at home for 14 days, but she said the government might get stricter for those who hang around.
“We are reconsidering our position on returning NSW residents beyond a certain point, because there is no excuse if people just want to hang around for a few days because they feel like it,” Berejiklian said.
“That doesn’t cut the mustard.”
The state government’s even considering putting interstate arrivals in hotel quarantine like returned overseas travellers, but this time they’d have to foot the bill.
“I have no tolerance for people continuing their lives as normal and ignoring all the health warnings,” the premier said.
