Has the Sydney cluster burst hopes for a transtasman travel bubble?

The travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia could be in jeopardy.

The deal is being called into question, given the recent resurgence of Covid-19 in Sydney’s North Beach community and the most infectious new strain of virus spreading across the UK.

The Herald’s senior policy writer, Claire Trevett, told Francesca Rudkin of Newstalk ZB that you can’t see a travel bubble before a vaccine is available here.

“I don’t know if the prime minister would be willing to jeopardize the progress we’ve made for a bubble a few months before a vaccine comes along.”

New Zealand agreed to establish a travel bubble with Australia in the first quarter of 2021, or had done so, before the latest breakout in Tasmania.

The latest cluster on Sydney’s North Beaches now has 68 cases after 30 more were reported overnight, with that area closed as of Wednesday.

As of today, the neighboring state of Queensland requires arriving people to have a border pass and be tested for the coronavirus.

Tasmania requires anyone coming from the state to spend 14 days in quarantine, but anyone who has been to Sydney’s North Beaches is banned.

Western Australia is reimposing its hard border, so no one can travel there from New South Wales.

Washington Prime Minister Mark McGowan said that while he regrets having to take the plunge less than a week before Christmas, the risk of Covid-19 emerging in the community is too high.

“I know these changes will be difficult for many people to accept,” McGowan said at a news conference last night.

“I know you will ruin your Christmas and reunion plans if you haven’t already.

“These are now extraordinary circumstances.

“I wish I didn’t have to make this announcement, but as Prime Minister I have a responsibility to all Western Australians and I need to do the right thing to keep our state safe and strong.”

McGowan said it was not known how long the border would remain.

“We hope it is only for a short period and we can re-evaluate our border controls when the health council says it is okay to do so,” he said.

He advised Western Australians to reconsider traveling to New South Wales.

“The WA community has been Covid-free for 252 days. I want it to stay that way,” he said.

“I want to protect people’s health and, in turn, protect people’s jobs.

“If you can help it, don’t go.”

New Zealand surveillance situation in New South Wales

The New Zealand government says it is closely monitoring the new Covid-19 cluster in Sydney, but it is too early to say whether it will affect a trans-Tasman bubble.

“As previously stated, a travel bubble will not start until the first quarter of 2021,” a government spokesman said in a statement.

“The beginning depends on the fact that there are no significant changes in the circumstances of any of the countries.

“Decisions on whether or not to proceed with a travel bubble will come in the new year and we will assess the situation at that time.

“We are monitoring the situation closely, but it is too early to make decisions based on the current community cases in New South Wales.”

Very few exemptions expected

McGowan said that very few people would be eligible for a waiver to travel from New South Wales to Western Australia.

However, some may be granted entry on compassionate grounds, including people who had recently traveled to New South Wales and had to return home.

“It’s quite difficult,” McGowan said.

But imagine us having to close Perth or Margaret River or Bunbury or Broome for Christmas.

“That is what we are trying to avoid here.”

Some senior government officials, active military personnel and truck drivers are among those who will still be able to travel between the two states.

All 68 people who had been to Sydney’s North Beaches area before traveling to WA tested negative for the virus.

Second travel change to NSW in two days

The announcement comes just hours after WA Health Minister Roger Cook held a press conference that presented a much more positive picture of the border situation.

“At this stage, we don’t see a need to go beyond the current agreements that we have,” Cook said at a news conference at noon.

However, he acknowledged that the situation is unpredictable and “can change at any time.”

The hard border replaces the agreement in effect from Thursday that requires travelers from New South Wales to isolate themselves upon arrival in Washington.

WA registered a new case of Covid-19 overnight: a man in his 30s who had arrived from abroad and remains in hotel quarantine.

The returning traveler brings the total number of Covid-19 cases from WA to 845, including 14 active cases.

252 days have passed since the community broadcast in WA.

With RNZ reports