© Provided by Daily MailMailOnline logo

Queensland and Victoria have introduced tough new restrictions for Sydneysiders less than a week before Christmas.

Anyone who has visited the Greater Sydney region and is planning to cross the border for the holiday break will now have to apply for a permit, get tested on arrival and self isolate until they are given the all-clear.

The strict new measures come after the Northern Beaches outbreak climbed by 23 cases on Saturday, including 10 from yesterday. 

Testing revealed 21 of those are directly linked to the Avalon cluster, while two still remain under investigation. Infections linked to the worrying outbreak have now reached 41.

Every state and territory in Australia has enforced mandatory quarantine on travellers from the Northern Beaches hotspots as hundreds of thousands of residents from the Spit Bridge to Palm Beach have been ordered to stay at home from 5pm Saturday until midnight on Wednesday. 

© Provided by Daily Mail

© Provided by Daily MailPremier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Health are expected to announce the Northern Beaches cluster which now stands at 41, has not only increased but spread to other areas

QUEENSLAND:

Travellers from the Central Coast of New South Wales or the Greater Sydney area will now need a permit from 1am on Saturday to enter the Sunshine State.

Visitors will also need to get tested on arrival and must stay in quarantine until the all clear is given.  

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said anyone coming from the Northern Beaches will have to undergo mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine and should reconsider their Christmas holiday plans. 

'This is about making sure we keep all Queenslanders safe while people travel around all the Christmas holidays,' she said on Saturday.

Those still hoping to cross the border can apply for a Queensland Border Declaration Pass from 8pm this evening on the state government's website. 

Cutting short her beach holiday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) stressed on Friday that Queensland's borders would remain open to other travellers

© Provided by Daily Mail

VICTORIA:

Victoria has introduced a similar permit scheme.

After more than four months of lockdown, the Victorian Government is desperately trying to avoid a third wave of infections in the state. 

Health Minister Martin Foley said anyone travelling from the Northern Beaches 'red zone' will have to undergo mandatory quarantine.

But visitors from greater Sydney region - the 'orange zone' - are still permitted to travel but must apply for a permit.   

'Anyone travelling from the greater Sydney region is encouraged to get tested on arrival and self-quarantine until they receive that negative test result,' Mr Foley said.

'My message to everyone in Victoria is don't go to Sydney.' 

So far 52,000 permits have been issued since midnight. 

Those travelling from regional New South Wales - the green zone - are permitted to enter Victoria with no restrictions.  

After more than four months of lockdown, the Victorian Government is desperately trying to avoid a third wave of infections in the state. Pictured: Premier Daniel Andrews

© Provided by Daily Mail

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:  

South Australia confirmed on Saturday its border will remain open to travellers from NSW despite the rise in cases.

But it warns it won't hesitate to act if Sydney's Covid-19 cluster continues to expand. 

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says Sydney's northern peninsula has been declared a high community transmission zone.

He says people who recently travelled to SA and had visited Avalon RSL and Avalon Bowlo will be placed into hotel quarantine.

© Provided by Daily MailLong lines of passengers are seen trying to depart Sydney Domestic Airport on Friday. Those travelling to WA will have to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, regardless of if they return a negative result, destroying Christmas plans for many

© Provided by Daily MailAirline passengers wait in line to check in at Sydney's Kingsford Smith domestic airport. Many people are anticipating border closures and are trying to leave the city beforehand

WESTERN AUSTRALIA:  

State Premier Mark McGowan previously said the Sydney outbreak 'may well mean that the hard border with NSW needs to return in the near future'. 

'Whilst that might be upsetting for people, we'll do what we have to do to keep having a great record in WA and keep the health and welfare of West Australians paramount,' Mr McGowan said. 

'I'm very sympathetic to people who want to visit family and catch up with parents and children over the course of the Christmas period.'  

Mr McGowan said he also believes 'NSW should go to tougher measures'.  

'The sooner that NSW crushes it, the sooner they kill it, the better it is for them and the better it is for the entire country,' he said.

'What Victoria and South Australia showed is you can eliminate the virus. You can kill the virus if you put in place the right measures.' 

After more than four months of lockdown, the Victorian Government is desperately trying to avoid a third wave of infections in the state.     

© Provided by Daily MailAn airport staff disinfects part of the Perth Airport terminal. Mr McGowan said he also believes 'NSW should go to tougher measures'

© Provided by Daily MailWA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) said the Sydney outbreak 'may well mean that the hard border with NSW needs to return in the near future'

 NORTHERN TERRITORY, ACT AND TASMANIA

 The Northern Territory, ACT and Tasmania have all have all banned anyone who visited the Northern Beaches from December 11 from entering their state or territory.

Travellers from the Northern Beaches or other hotspots in NSW will be have to undergo mandatory quarantine.

But no changes have been made for visitors from the Greater Sydney area and the borders will remain open.

NEW SOUTH WALES:  

Sydney's coronavirus outbreak has surged with 23 new cases recorded overnight forcing NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to re-introduce strict Covid-19 restrictions 'to save Christmas'.

Hundreds of thousands of residents on the Northern Beaches have been ordered to stay at home from 5pm Saturday while millions more in Greater Sydney have been urged to abandon non-essential activities. 

The Northern Beaches outbreak has now climbed by 23 cases, which includes 10 from yesterday, with testing on Saturday revealing 21 of those are directly linked to the Avalon cluster.

The two other cases are currently under investigation but are also expected to be part of the Northern Beaches outbreak.  

Infections linked to the worrying cluster have now reached 41. 

Health Minister Brad Hazzard, who resides on the Northern Beaches, said he understands the disappointment locals are feeling ahead of the Christmas break but issued a stern warning.   

'If you have got lunches with a lot of friends today, cancel it. If you are going out to big functions this afternoon, cancel it,' he said.

'I was going to be heading off on Christmas morning but I am not doing that now. Events have been cancelled. We are going through this together.' 

He said there has been an amazing response from the community in the past 36 hours with 'great numbers' of people coming forward to get tested. 

The growing numbers in Sydney were recorded on the same Victoria records 50 straight days with no community transmission. 

While genomic testing confirmed that Sydney's Covid outbreak likely entered the country from the United States via an international flight crew - how patient zero brought the virus to the northern beaches remains a mystery.

NSW contact tracers are now working frantically to see if they can tie the escaped virus to a hotel quarantine breach or to arriving international flight crew. 

NSW Health issued an urgent alert for venues in Woolloomooloo, Eveleigh, Turramurra, Rosebery, Cronulla and Bondi Junction overnight and now an urgent health warning has been issued for hundreds of gym-goers who attended Anytime Fitness in Avalon.

An infected person attended the gym on five days over the past two weeks on December 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12.

Anyone trained at the facility on Avalon Parade on those dates is urged to get tested immediately and self isolate. 

The gym is now undergoing deep cleaning and will be closed until further notice.  

© Provided by Daily MailPictured: Manly corso is seen completely deserted on December 19, 2020 in Sydney

© Provided by Daily MailPictured: An empty Manly Corso is seen on December 19, 2020 in Sydney as the outbreak grows