THE NSW government's determination to keep the state COVID-19 free has stopped short of shutting the border to Victoria.
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But the state's health minister Brad Hazzard has put NSW residents on notice they risked fines or even jail time if found in one of the Melbourne coronanvirus hotspots suburbs which returned to lockdown for a month at midnight Wednesday.
Anyone caught flouting the two orders, which are expected to come into effect within the next 24 hours, could be jailed for six months or fined $11,000.
"The message to NSW residents is don't go to Victorian hotspots," Mr Hazzard said.
"Normally we love having Victorians and Queenslanders come and visit us, but Victorians right now from those hot spots, are not welcome in NSW."
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As Victoria enters the half-way mark of school holidays and the NSW school holidays about to start, Yarrawonga-Mulwala has remained virus free.
"We've got all the postcodes written down here at the office and we're just going through the process," Yarrawonga-Mulwala Tourism and Business executive officer Noel Wright said.
"If anyone is from those areas obviously we're not taking their bookings.
"I know we talked two people out of coming up here from Hume somewhere.
"I feel sorry for everyone because at some stage we've got to take a leap of faith, but things are really hard at the moment."
Member for Justin Clancy backed the health minister's directive, but said there was no chance the NSW-Victoria border would close.
"It was a really strong message that if you are travelling from those lockdown postcodes firstly you are breaking Victorian public health orders and NSW will jump on you as well," he said.
"It is really challenging for us on the border.
"There are concerns on our side about the potential for people to travel up here, but so many people live and work on both sides of the border.
"The Premier has certainly reached out to me for the views of our community and she recognises how important that border movement is for us."
Hotspot residents already on holidays are not being ordered home.
Mr Hazzard said he expected NSW police would increase their checks on Victorian travellers.
"I would expect police, if they see Victorian number plates, they will be looking at who and where and making sure they haven't come from the hotspots," he said.
