Do not interact with Melbourne citizens - NSW Premier

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned NSW residence against travelling to the Victoria, after the Australian Health Protection Principle Committee yesterday recommended that people in the six local government areas in Victoria identified as hotspots reconsider any planned travel to other areas.

Most of the new cases have been confined to several Melbourne "hot spots" in the local council areas of Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin.

"You should not be travelling to Melbourne at this time because of the rate of community transmission," Ms Berejiklian said.

Health authorities in the state have backed that stance, and said anyone in NSW eyeing off a trip should "reconsider their need to travel".

However  Ms Berejiklian said that she would not be closing the NSW borders.

Despite Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s persistent criticism of interstate travel restrictions imposed by the likes of South Australia and Queensland, Deputy Premier John Barilaro said earlier on Monday that NSW was watching the Victorian situation closely and didn’t reject the idea of interstate travel restrictions. Mr Barilaro admitted Victoria’s spike in COVID-19 cases was “worrying” and “a real threat”.

There have been more than 100 new coronavirus infections in Victoria over the past week — including 25 on Saturday — many of which have been locally acquired.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has also commanded NSW accommodation vendors to bar any travellers from Melbourne as as coronavirus cases surge in Victoria and the community transmission of coronavirus has become rampant.

The hardline approach comes as Victoria recorded 17 new corona virus cases overnight with a significant number of those a result of community transmission.

"I call on all organisations not to interact with citizens from Melbourne at this stage," Ms Berejiklian said.

She backed accommodation owners and operators taking it upon themselves to bar Melbourne travellers, reiterating that vendors are " at liberty to accept or reject any traveller".

"I would definitely encourage organisations to consider who to allow on their premises and where they're coming from," she said.

Ms Berejiklian also said Australian workers should "absolutely" not be engaging with business-related travel to and from Melbourne at this time.

"I think it's the prerogative of every business, every organisation not to accept anyone from these hotspots at this time."

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he was not "interested in having a debate with Premier Berejiklian through the media".

"I've had a number of conversations with her over the last few days. We're working very closely together," he said.

"If and when we need to make announcements about how we're going to deal with these hotspots further then of course we will."

Premier Daniel Andrews said 11 of the new cases were under investigation and there would be "significant community transmission" among the new cases.

Mr Andrews reminded people that new restrictions were now in place which limited the number of guests people could have in their homes.