In NSW, only 5 COVID-19 cases have emerged in 24 hours. This new record will engender an ease in state border restrictions this week, barring Victoria.
A total of 28,767 COVID-19 tests were completed in the reporting period of 8PM August 18 to 8PM August 19.
“Pleasingly, in NSW, we[‘ve] had 5 cases of COVID overnight. Two of which who are in hotel quarantine and three of which are in south west Sydney,” said the Premier.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro have been pushing for the ease of border policies. Yet, Ms Berejiklian said she is most concerned with the virus spreading in regional NSW.
“If you are in western Sydney and south westen Sydney, in particular, that if you have the mildest of symptoms, you come forward and get tested. Because we know that the virus is circulating in those communities,” she said.
Following this breakthrough, Ms Berejiklian is adamant that the number of cases will drop with careful considerations of social distancing and testing.
“There [is] at least a case a day which we can’t directly or immediately link, and it’s important that we continue to be able to do so to give confidence for ourselves, that we are stopping the virus and every opportunity.”
Ensuing Ms Berejiklian address, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant stepped up and said,
“This is an incredibly critical phase in our response. We are seeing these continual low levels of transmission.”
Respecting the chaotic cases of COVID-19 in Victoria, Ms Berejiklian said that New South Wales officials are overseeing the Victorian border “as best we can.” And as the NSW Deputy prepares to offer possible improvements to facilitate a new border system this week.
Mr Barilaro said he believed there was “an argument” that restrictions on the Victorian border should be relaxed. Though, Mr Barilaro said this morning that if infection numbers in Victoria plateau, he would push to reopen the border.
Amid the second wave of Victoria’s pandemic, a flurry of public furore followed Ms Berejiklian. She stands by her decision to close off the Victorian border amid Melbourne’s deadly second wave.
“I remember getting criticised when we closed the Victorian border. “So I’ve accepted and acknowledged, in a pandemic, I’ll never be able to please everybody all the time,” she said.
“If Victoria’s number continues to decline and we get them under a 100 in the next few weeks, I would argue that the border should be lifted,” Mr Barilaro said.
Mr Barilaro is poised on having Victorian border policy lifted by Christmas. “I don’t believe we should be having the border closed anywhere beyond this side of Christmas,” he said.