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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) may not be closing down the border with Victoria as the neighbouring state's COVID-19 cases spike, but today she has taken a firm stance against Melburnians coming to visit.
The ABC reports the Premier called on all accommodation owners and tourism operators "not to interact with citizens from Melbourne at this stage", albeit with the caveat they can choose to accept any traveller as they wish.
Premier Berejiklian also reportedly urged people not to undertake business travel to and from the Victorian capital.
Her stance contrasts with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall's approach to the latest Victorian case uptick, involving a pre-approval process in the works for admitting Victorians into his state.
Berejiklian's rally cry could potentially disincentivise Melburnians to travel to NSW. However, it could just as easily prompt people to travel under the radar, lie about their residence or stay in households, making traceability more challenging if they turn out to be COVID-19 positive.
Victoria has reported 17 new cases today with "significant community transmission" including 11 cases currently under investigation.
Updated at 12:12pm AEST on 23 June 2020.
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