Thursday, 18 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
World

NSW/Victoria border slams shut: Cars turned away after just missing deadline

1 Jan, 2021 05:50 PM3 minutes to read
Images posted on social media showed massive queues hours before the border closed. Photo / @Milliganreports

Images posted on social media showed massive queues hours before the border closed. Photo / @Milliganreports

AP

Victoria's border with New South Wales slammed shut at midnight, barring entry to anyone who didn't make it there in time.

Vehicles arriving at border checkpoints after the deadline were turned around by police and instructed to return to NSW.

Yesterday Jeroen Weimar, the Victorian Health Department's Covid-19 response commander, justified the state's hardline stance.

NSW-Vic border tonight. Six hours to go about 20km. pic.twitter.com/AcqaG8IXmT

— Louise Milligan (@Milliganreports) December 31, 2020

"We need to close the border, because we do not wish to continue to import high-risk Covid cases back into Victoria," Weimar said.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

"We do not think that would be right or fair for the Victorian community.

"We do not have the capacity to put hundreds of people into hotel quarantine because they elected to come home late.

"If there are people who've gone to NSW, we did not design and set up a hotel quarantine system to enable people who've gone on holidays in NSW to come back a bit later."

However, some people rushing to the border last night had travelled from as far away as Queensland.

Images posted on social media showed massive queues hours before the border closed.

Photographer Simon Dallinger was at the Hume Freeway checkpoint. He reported that the last people allowed through, seconds before midnight, were Kelli Rippon and Rachel Bartlett. The pair had travelled from Brisbane to Dubbo, and then to Victoria.

Related articles

World

'I haven't had a lot of sleep': Shock as Aussie woman in her 20s wins $10 million

01 Jan 04:21 AM
World

Mass exposure fears after 10-day delay in detecting Melbourne Covid cases

31 Dec 09:47 PM
World

Partying Aussies leave masks at home despite Covid alert

31 Dec 08:39 PM
New Zealand

Pedestrian critically injured in downtown Auckland

31 Dec 09:09 PM

They made it just in time. Others were not so lucky.

A border check on the Victorian side of the Hume Highway on December 29, 2020 in Albury, Australia. Photo / Getty Images
A border check on the Victorian side of the Hume Highway on December 29, 2020 in Albury, Australia. Photo / Getty Images

Health authorities in Victoria believe the virus has been spreading there for almost two weeks.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

All 10 cases reported since Wednesday either dined at the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in Black Rock on December 21, or are close contacts of others who did.

NSW police stop vehicles at the Hume Highway checkpoint at the Victorian border on November 22, 2020 in Albury, Australia. Photo / Getty Images
NSW police stop vehicles at the Hume Highway checkpoint at the Victorian border on November 22, 2020 in Albury, Australia. Photo / Getty Images

"We know we have a likely starting point to December 21 – that is now at 10 or 11 days ago," Weimar said yesterday.

"That gives us great reason for concern that this may cause other chains of transmission to go back to that point."

Across the border in NSW, three new infections were identified in Western Sydney yesterday.

Contact tracers are now scrambling to link the new cases to existing clusters.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned tighter restrictions could be introduced across Greater Sydney if more cases arise without known links.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

"If we get to a stage, or if we feel that there's too many cases that are completely unlinked or unrelated, or something pops out unexpectedly that does cause concern, then of course we'll adjust our settings if that's the case," Berejiklian said yesterday.

Today residents on the northern beaches will learn whether their localised restrictions will be loosened. The lower northern beaches, in particular, may be brought under the same rules as the rest of Sydney.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

World

Desperate Putin's extraordinary offer to women

18 Aug 08:29 AM
World

Death toll in Afghan capital mosque bombing now 21

18 Aug 07:21 AM
World

America announces trade talks with Taiwan as island holds military drills

18 Aug 07:20 AM
World

Trump FBI raid: Media to ask judge to release search warrant affidavit

18 Aug 07:14 AM
Premium
World

Behind enemy lines, Ukrainians tell Russians 'you are never safe'

18 Aug 07:00 AM

Most Popular

Judge changes little boy's name to avoid links to criminal dad
New Zealand|CrimeUpdated

Judge changes little boy's name to avoid links to criminal dad

18 Aug 08:00 AM
Seally season: Seal chases cat into marine biologist's lounge
New ZealandUpdated

Seally season: Seal chases cat into marine biologist's lounge

18 Aug 06:18 AM
Labour MP Gaurav Sharma speaks out; accuses PM and her office of a 'cover-up'
New Zealand|Politics

Labour MP Gaurav Sharma speaks out; accuses PM and her office of a 'cover-up'

18 Aug 06:27 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP