Riverina health authorities are "anxious" about possible local coronavirus cases as they prepare for the Victoria-NSW border to shut for the first time in 100 years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Murrumbidgee Local Health District director of medical services Len Bruce said it was "highly unlikely" that COVID-19 would be present in Victoria and not NSW.
"Even though there is a lot of focus on Melbourne and the Victorian outbreak ... we still need to be vigilant here," Dr Bruce said.
The border will be closed indefinitely from midnight on Tuesday as confirmed cases of COVID-19 soar in Victoria, with some exemptions in place for medical professionals and a permit system for those living in communities which straddle both states.
Dr Bruce said the MLHD was awaiting the official health order from NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and he couldn't anticipate how long the border would remain closed.
"I don't think anybody would like to close the border for any longer than is absolutely necessary," Dr Bruce said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"But I wouldn't be surprised, and I'm only speculating, it wouldn't be less than two weeks because we will only really see the benefits of a closure in ... two to three weeks time.
"We're obviously anxious about it, that there could be cases. So we'll just need to wait and see ... what's going to happen."
NSW Health Senior Environmental Health Officer Tony Burns said the MLHD was working with transport providers to screen visitors with temperature testing and a questionnaire.
There is currently one flight from Melbourne to Wagga on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
"But we are at the moment continuing to work with Vic Trains to monitor anyone that gets off the XPT to on its way through to Sydney," Mr Burns said.
"We've been very happy at With all those who have been getting off the train, they haven't come from any of the Melbourne hotspots. But you know, that tends to expand, we'll need to continue to monitor that."
Mr Burns said so far no-one arriving by plane or train to Wagga had needed to be referred for an actual COVID-19 test.
"Everybody that has come off, either a plane or train has been screened and has been deemed just allowed to go on. They've been fine," he said.
Mr Burns said people were being screened at only "the main spots" along the train line but any passengers travelling from one of the 12 Victorian "hotspots" were being turned back at Albury.
He said there hadn't been many people arriving in the Murrumbidgee by plane or by train from Victoria in the past week, but acknowledged there would be other visitors in the region for the school holidays.
"There hasn't been a border closure issue up until now ... But people just really need to continue to monitor their health," he said.
"The borders are going to be trying to control the process of moving forward."
The MLHD extends to Albury which shares health facilities with Wodonga on the Victorian side of the border.
Almost 3000 people in the region have been tested in the last week as the second Victorian surge skyrocketed to a total of 2536 confirmed cases.
Twelve Victorian postcodes and nine public housing towers have been put into lockdown in order to prevent the spread of the virus in the state.