Two Victorians in isolation test positive to coronavirus after returning from NSW – ABC News

Victoria's COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar says two people who returned from New South Wales on red zone permits have since tested positive for COVID-19.

Both of those people, who are members of a family of four based in the Hume local government area, were isolating after returning from the neighbouring state.

The Victorian government has also revealed a person from Sydney with COVID-19 travelled to Victoria and South Australia while infectious last week.

The man was a member of a three-person moving crew.

They arrived in Melbourne on July 8, delivered one set of furniture to a house in Craigieburn in the City of Hume, collected some goods at a home in the City ofMaribyrnong and then left to go to Adelaide, arriving there on July 9.

A member of the crew was contacted by NSW Health on July 9 and told he was a primary close contact of another case. He was tested on July 10 after returning toNSW and a positive result came back yesterday.

The Age: Jason South

A second crew member has since tested positive as well.

Mr Weimaralso revealed that of the four family members who had travelled back from NSW to their home inthe City of Hume, three had returned to Victoria by air on July 4 and the fourth returned by car on July 8.

"They all tested negative initially," he said.

"This highlights the importance of the red zone permit system."

They all travelled on appropriate red zone permits, tested negative and continuedto isolate for the full 14 days.

Authorities have said thetwo family members who tested positive to COVID-19 after returning from NSW will be counted in Victoria's figures on Tuesday.

Health Minister Martin Foleysaid authorities wouldinvestigate whether the removalist had the correct permits to enter Victoria.

"This looks like the third such incursion as a result of this NSW outbreak. By the time we add it to the Sandringham cluster ... and the Virgin airline case," he said.

Details are still emerging about the journey taken by two peopleworking as removalists across multiple stateslast week who have since tested positive to COVID-19.

"These are precisely the reasons our public health team have taken the strong steps as they have to set the tougher border restrictions."

South Australian officials said thefamily that was being moved in their statewas in contact with the men for about five hours.

None of them have tested positive.

The news comes as Victoria has recorded its 12th straight day ofnonew local COVID-19 cases.

The effective closure of the border with New South Wales and the ACT also cameinto effect last night.

There were 19,239test results received yesterday, and 12,005doses of vaccine were administered at state-run sites.

Yesterday, Victoria's Acting Chief Health Officer announced all of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory would become a red zone under the state's travel permit system.

The changes came into effect from11:59pm on Sunday.

It means the Victorian border is effectively closed to New South Wales and the ACT except for Victorian residents returning on a red zone permit for 14 days of quarantine and for people with exemptions.

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The Chief Minister of the ACT, Andrew Barr, said he was frustrated by Victoria's decision to shut its border to Canberrans.

Canberra has not recordeda local COVID-19 case in a year.

Mr Barr has called for all states to remove restrictions on the ACT as soon as possible.

"At this time, there is very little justification to consider the ACT as a COVID affected jurisdiction that requires the highest level of travel restrictions," he said.

Mr Foley said the ACT didn't have a sophisticated permit system like Victoria and was surrounded by regional New South Wales, leaving it vulnerable to people travelling through.

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Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennettsaid health authorities were right to wait before making a decision on closing the border.

"It probably would have been too pre-emptive if you closed the borders when you don't have any signal that you've got even exposure sites outside of Sydney, let alone potential cases," she said.

"The case numbers were still lower than they are in these last couple of days where they've really spiked up to 77 cases a day."

Deputy Premier James Merlino fired a shot at the federal government over financial support for businesses affected by the lockdown in New South Wales.

Mr Merlino said it was good that people in NSW were getting the help that they needed, but it shouldn't have been so hard for Victoria when it was in a similar situation.

He described the the federal government's position on financial support at the time as "disgraceful".

"We had to fight so damn hard in Victoria, both myself, the Treasurer, our officials talking to the Commonwealth to get a response," Mr Merlino said.

"They [the Commonwealth] initially refused to give any support at all. We got some marginal support and we welcomed it."

ABC News: Danielle Bonica

Meanwhile, Victorians are being offered an incentive to register their Myki public transport cards to help contact tracers.

From today, the first 60,000 people to register their Myki card will receive a $10 credit.

Public Transport Victoria said it could take up to 40 days for the credit to appear in accounts.

Victoria's Minister for Transport and Infrastructure,Jacinta Allan, said the state government was also close to establishing a QR code system for public transport.

QR codes were made compulsory for all businesses at the end of May, but Ms Allan was forced to defend why it had taken so long for them to be introduced on public transport.

"It's about making sure we get the rollout right as well," she said.

"It might look simple popping a QR code on a train station but there is some complexity about making sure the right QR code is on the right location and on the right tram.

"We're absolutely pedalling really hard now to get those QR codes rolled out. They're already at 440 priority locations across the state. We're rolling them out across tram stops, trains, trams and buses.

"There's tens of thousands of individual rolling stock that they need to be applied to. It's an important priority."

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Two Victorians in isolation test positive to coronavirus after returning from NSW - ABC News