Mark McGowan is not messing about. He doesn't want COVID-19 in WA. Fullstop.
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He also is of the belief that more state premiers should follow his lead. Principally, Gladys Berejiklian from NSW.
And as news of NSW's ballooning outbreak filtered from east to west, there was no mistaking Mr McGowan's position.
"The sooner that New South Wales crushes it, the sooner they kill it, the better it is for them and the better it is for the entire country," he said. "You can kill the virus if you put in place the right measures."
Actually "killing the virus" is an interesting phrase and not one you'd hear many scientists or epidemiologists uttering quite now. But hey, WA has gone 251 days without any community transmission of coronavirus and, Mr McGowan said, that's thanks to his measures.
And that's precisely why he's still considering a hard border closure to NSW if the situations worsens. For now, anyone who arrives in WA from NSW required to self-isolate for 14 days and get tested for coronavirus on the 11th day.
The other states and territories have implemented new restrictions as Sydney's northern beaches was officially declared a a national coronavirus hotspot, by a calm federal Health Minister.
"We've always said that while we're doing extraordinarily well, there would be outbreaks, there will be circumstances where local clusters emerge and we thank the northern beaches population for their action," minister Greg Hunt said.
NSW Premier Berejiklian pleaded with people to keep their response "proportionate" to the situation. And given Broken Hill is a lazy 13-hour drive from Sydney's Northern Beaches at best, it is perplexing why all NSW residents should be banned from entering into certain states, as Illawarra Mercury editor Julian O'Brien says.
That said, it is worthwhile remembering this is a different approach to the one the NSW Premier adopted when NSW-Vic border bubbles were in place earlier this year.
Regardless, it's a watch and wait scenario. Again.
Check back with us over the weekend to keep up-to-date with the situation.
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