VICTORIANS returning home from Sydney will have to spend Christmas and New Year in hotel quarantine, after the State Government closed the border in response to the northern beaches COVID-19 outbreak.

Premier, Daniel Andrews announced at the weekend anyone who had been in Sydney or New South Wales’ Central Coast since December 11 would have to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine if they entered the state.

The requirement came into effect yesterday for interstate visitors and from today for Victorians returning home.

Mr Andrews said the quarantine requirement was needed as the State Government was concerned NSW did not have the outbreak under control.

Yesterday NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian said the state had recorded 15 new cases on Sunday, following 30 new cases on Saturday.

The cases were all linked to the northern beaches outbreak, which had grown to 83 cases.

“Based on the most up-to-date information available, the current outbreak in New South Wales is linked to a returned traveller in that state’s hotel quarantine program,” Mr Andrews said in a statement on Sunday.

“However, concerningly, there remain missing links in the chains of transmission and case numbers and exposure sites continue to grow.

“Without mandatory mask rules and stay at home orders across Sydney, our government and state’s health authorities do not have confidence that the situation remains safe.”

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