A new isolation order has been imposed for people in NSW who have visited Victoria. 

Beginning on Thursday, anyone who enters NSW from the coronavirus-stricken state will be forced to self-isolate at home for 14 days.  

NSW Health issued a clarification on Thursday night after it was widely reported the Public Health Order would apply to anyone who had been to Victoria since June 24. 

‘NSW Health will amend the Health Orders that came into effect on 8th July to remove confusion on interpretation of the Orders,’ a department spokesman said.

‘The Government’s intent was to ensure any Victorian or anyone entering NSW from Victoria AFTER the commencement of the Orders will be required to self isolate.

‘The Government’s policy was NOT to be retrospective. This action follows legal advice that the Orders are open to an incorrect interpretation.’ 

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday that the risk of contagion in NSW is ‘very high’

The order comes as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday foreshadowed a tightening of coronavirus restrictions.

‘It doesn’t take very long for things to escalate quickly,’ she said.

‘And it doesn’t take very long for that rate of community transmission to increase and so all of us have to be on high alert.’ 

Earlier on Thursday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said while the rate of community transmission remains low, there was no reason to tighten social-distancing restrictions among the majority of residents.

However, she said it could take weeks to determine if ‘potential seeding that may have occurred in those border communities and also throughout other parts of New South Wales’ has crossed from Victoria into her state.

The VIC and NSW border closed on Tuesday in a bid to prevent the second wave of COVID-19 in Melbourne from spilling over into the neighbouring state. Police are pictured stopping and questioning drivers at a checkpoint on July 8 in Albury

Ms Berejiklian warned that conditions could change rapidly as the situation unfolds.  

‘I do want everybody to feel on high alert,’ the Premier said.

‘Because if we do get results, if the data starts changing and we need to act quickly.

‘I want people to know that for the next two to three weeks in particular, all of us have to be on high alert.’  

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has indicated the border closure with Victoria could last up to six weeks, the same duration of the stage three lockdown placed on Melbourne from midnight Wednesday. 

Ms Berejiklian is also considering shifting the state border to the north and annexing Albury to Victoria until the outbreak is brought under control.

This would allow residents of both towns to cross state lines freely and minimise disruption to the community while also preventing the virus from spreading deeper into NSW.

Dozens of medical personnel gather outside of a housing complex in Melbourne on Tuesday as as they conducted COVID-19 testing blitz on residents

She has also flagged making exemption permits to cross the border more difficult to obtain.

More than 50,000 exemption permits were issued over Tuesday night allowing people living in NSW-Victoria border communities to cross between the two. 

Victoria recorded 134 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, its second-highest single-day total since the pandemic began after a record 191 infections on Tuesday.

Fears the horror outbreak could jump state lines have been exacerbated after three people returning from Melbourne tested positive to the virus in NSW this week.   

NSW recorded 13 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, of which 11 were returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

The two other cases were Albury residents, with one of persons recently visiting Melbourne before coming into contact with the other. 

VICTORIA’S CORONAVIRUS CASES 

VICTORIA’S CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS AS OF JULY 8: 

• 134 new cases
• Total number of cases: 2942
• 11 new cases linked to outbreaks
• 123 under investigation
• No new cases in returned international travellers
• 75 infections in total at nine public housing towers in hard lockdown
• 29,424 tests done on Tuesday

CASES FROM KNOWN OUTBREAKS

•  7 cases linked to Al-Taqwa College outbreak, which now totals 102
•  2 linked to locked-down public housing towers, which now totals 75
•  1 linked to the Stamford Plaza outbreak, which now totals 43
•  1 linked to the PM Fresh facility in Broadmeadows, which now totals 2

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews talking about the state’s response to the rise in cases 

OTHER CASES

•  4 patients and a staff member at Brunswick Private Hospital.
•  3 at Woolworths Customer Fulfilment Centre in Footscray, taking the total to 4
• 5 linked to five aged care services

OVERALL NUMBERS:

• 860 active cases in the state
• 150 active in the Hume local government area
•  41 Victorians in hospital including seven in intensive care
• 1,000,867 tests done since testing began
• 2575 of the total cases from metropolitan Melbourne
• 263 from regional Victoria
•  456 cases indicate community transmission
• 2058 people have recovered from the virus

LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS SUPPORT AND PENALTIES

• 264 defence personnel providing logistical support to Victoria Police
•  Increased police presence across all 32 local government areas entering stage three lockdown at midnight
• 810 spot checks by Victoria Police in the past 24 hours at homes, businesses and non-essential services across the state
• 6314 fines since policing of restrictions under Operation Sentinel began
• Breaches of public health orders face on-the-spot fines of $1652 for individuals and $9913 for businesses.