NSW is in a race against time to prove three new coronavirus cases are not « mysteries » and save people’s long-awaited summer Vacation plans
Health officials have 48 hours to link three West Sydney infections to previous cases and keep NSW on track for a reopening of the border with Queensland on November 1
But if they can’t connect the dots by then, any hope of entering the Sunshine State may soon be dashed
According to Queensland, there is a « nationally consistent approach » which gives states two to three days to determine the source of transmission from new cases
« I hadn’t heard it until I heard it yesterday in the news so I don’t know where they’re from, » she says
Ms Berejiklian said she didn’t want NSW’s contact tracers to be put under unnecessary pressure
« How long does it take for our experts to find the links? Sometimes it can take them a few hours, sometimes it can take a few days, » she says
Queensland authorities have refused to budge on condition that their neighboring state has 28 days without community transmission before the border opens
NSW hit a remarkable 12-day COVID-free milestone yesterday, but the three new cases now threaten to reset the clock
Queensland Minister of Health Steven Miles was optimistic NSW contact tracers could find links before deadline ends
« If they can, it will have no effect on our timeline Therefore, to our knowledge, we are still on track for this review towards the end of the month and a possible reopening on November 1
« Let them do their job There have been instances where our contact tracers have taken a day or two to determine how they are connected to clusters »
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian also hoped authorities could ‘bring’ the new infections under control, but said the situation showed just how unrealistic Queensland’s 28-day rule was
« Until the end of the pandemic, it is highly unlikely that New South Wales will ever reach 28 days without community transmission, as that is not how a pandemic works, » he said. she declared
« I notice Queensland and Western Australia continue to ease restrictions in their communities, but they maintain the border. Now it’s a false sense of security »
South Australia had previously considered NSW to be a « low transmission area, » meaning travelers can enter the state without having to be tested for COVID-19 or spend their vacations in quarantine – as long as they haven’t been to Victoria in the past 14 days
During the initial announcement, Prime Minister Peter Gutwein said if the situation in NSW looked promising, the Tasmanian authorities would keep an eye on the situation
At the other end, the Northern Territory always looks set to reopen its doors to the Sydneysiders this Friday, although he urges everyone to keep a mask handy
Last month an agreement was reached to allow New Zealand travelers to enter New South Wales and the Northern Territory from October 16
It is unclear how the three new NSW cases will impact the expansion of the Trans-Tasman travel bubble, although flights between the two countries are still being announced
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has yet to agree to allow Australians to enter New Zealand
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AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time, which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
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