The NSW government’s management of flights arriving from Melbourne has been under increased scrutiny as calls to implement a mandatory hotel quarantine grow.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard today outlined the health department’s procedures in detail, in response to concerns raised by taxi drivers who fear they’ll be forced to transport infected Melburnians.

Upon arrival into NSW all passengers from Victoria are questioned, temperature checked and given masks if they left theirs on the plane.

Those who clear the checks and are allowed to isolate at home are instructed “to only sit in the back seat of a car with the windows open and air conditioning not on re-circulation”.

However, given Melbourne’s rate of transmission, UNSW Associate Professor Bill Bowtell told Jim Wilson Sydneysiders can make a “reasonable assumption” that some of the inbound passengers are still carrying the virus asymptomatically.

“The virus can find the weakest link in this chain, and that’s our terrible lesson we have to learn from Melbourne.

“We have to be diligent.”

Professor Bowtell acknowledged a total ban on inbound flights is impractical, but stressed arrivals must be limited to “only the most essential people”.

“Our border’s got to mean something.”

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