Coronavirus: Australia to close busy Victoria-New South Wales border for first time in 100 years

Move follows order for more than 300,000 people in Melbourne suburbs to go under lockdown

(Getty Images)

Australia will close the busy border between its two most populous states for the first time since the Spanish flu pandemic following a spike in cases in Melbourne.

The border between New South Wales and Victoria, where Melbourne sits, will be closed from Tuesday for an indefinite period in a bid to contain the outbreak.

Hundreds of thousands in the Melbourne suburbs have been given new orders to stay at home unless for a set of reasons, with nine public housing tower blocks going into complete lockdown.

Officials last blocked movement between the two states around 100 years ago during the Spanish flu pandemic.

"It is the smart call, the right call at this time, given the significant challenges we face in containing this virus," Daniel Andrews, Victoria's premier, said.

Last week, more than 30 Melbourne suburbs were sent back into lockdown after Australia's second-largest city saw a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Around 300,000 people were told to stay at home, only to leave for food, medical reasons, exercise, work or care giving.

Nine tower blocks in the city's suburbs went into Australia's first complete lockdown over the weekend, with around 3,000 residents told not to go outside for any reason for at least five days.

Victoria recorded its highest-ever daily increase in coronavirus cases on Monday and two deaths, which took the national tally to 106.

Mr Andrews, the state premier, said 53 of the 127 new infections were among those who been confined by police to their apartments in the housing blocks.

Victoria's border with New South Wales will be patrolled by the military to prevent illegal crossings from 11.59pm local time on Tuesday.

The state line is highly porous, with 55 roads, wilderness parks and rivers. Some businesses straddle both sides and several workers, and school children, commute daily.

Gladys Berejiklian, the New South Wales premier, said people would be able to apply for daily permits to cross the border, but added there would be delays of around three days in issuing the passes.

Paul Armstrong, who runs a petrol station in Wodonga, a border town on the Victorian side, said his children live in New South Wales but go to school in Victoria.

"I wonder if they will need permits," he said.

Australia has fared better than many countries in the coronavirus pandemic, with just short of 8,500 cases so far, but the Melbourne outbreak has raised alarm bells.

Victoria's spike in cases has been linked to staff members at hotels housing returned travellers for whom quarantine protocols were not strictly followed.

Additional reporting by agencies