New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian says more than 125,000 exemption permits have been issued since the state announced it was closing its border to Victorians.
Follow today’s events as they unfold.
Live updates
By Dannielle Maguire
Testing blitz is not mandatory
SA’s Chief Medical Officer Nicola Spurrier was asked if the testing blitz — which is targeted at anyone who has recently been to Victoria — was mandatory:
Here’s what she said:
“No, we’re not making this mandatory. Think that is very important.
“We haven’t needed to do that with out international [travellers] and I suspect we will not need to do that with people coming from interstate.
“What is important for people coming back from interstate is that they do the quarantine.
“We are providing them with information about how to do the quarantine most safely. You are much better to be doing quarantine by yourself or with other people that have been travelling with you.
“What we are advising against is for somebody coming back and then coming into the family home and quarantining with everybody else in their family.”
By Dannielle Maguire
Face masks and follow up calls
Mr Marshall said there would be extra precautions for people coming into the state:
“As people come across the borders, whether it be the road border or whether it be the airports, they will be presented with three face masks which they must wear when they are coming into contact with any other people here in South Australia.
“But also presigned referral forms so they do not need to go to their local GP. They have got the referral form when they arrive and go and get themselves tested.
“Police will be able to direct them to the closest and nearest testing facility.
“Let’s not forget, in South Australia we have in excess of 50 rapid assessment and testing clinics across our state and so there is no excuse to not go and get yourself tested.
“And as a further precaution, we will be making a phone call to all of those returns South Australians within 24 hours to check that that test has been undertaken.”
By Dannielle Maguire
Returning SA residents must get tested
Mr Marshall had a message for those SA locals returning to the state:
“As of midnight last night, any South Australians that are returning will be required to undertake a test within 24 hours of crossing the border, whether that be a road border or at the airport, they are now required to undertake a COVID-19 test within 24 hours and then again on day 12.
“And I point out that even if they get a negative result they are still required to complete the full 14 days of isolation.
“The police commissioner is significantly increasing the compliance checks and the surveillance of those people who are undertaking that mandatory 14 days of self isolation.”
By Dannielle Maguire
SA to launch testing blitz on people who have been in Victoria
SA Premier Steven Marshall said there would be a testing blitz in the state, effective immediately:
“We are asking all people who have been into Victoria in recent weeks to present themselves immediately for testing for the COVID-19.
“Can I say that even if people do not have symptoms we are asking them to present themselves to make sure we can look at every single possibility.”
By Dannielle Maguire
SA’s Premier is speaking now
By Dannielle Maguire
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By Dannielle Maguire
Enforcing Victoria’s ‘ring of steel’
Police checkpoints under Operation Sentinel have been set up in a ring around Melbourne to enforce the new stage three lockdown restrictions.
Just a reminder: that means we Victorians cannot go outside except for: shopping for essentials, medical care and caregiving, exercise and study or work if it can’t be done from home.
Yesterday Victoria’s new police Chief Commissioner, Shane Patton, said the operation would be a “ring of steel” around the city to strictly enforce the stay-at-home orders issued by the Chief Health Officer.
Individuals face fines of up to $1,652 for breaching the directions.
Our camera crews have been out at the checkpoints this morning. Gemma Hall was on the Western Freeway heading out of Melbourne:
On the other side of town on the Princes Highway at Longwarry, Simon Winter found long traffic queues as people were each stopped and had to be questioned about where they live and why they were out:
By Kathy Lord
By Dannielle Maguire
We’re standing by for the SA Premier
South Australian Premier Steven Mar