The NSW premier has discouraged Western Australia from reducing the number of returning Australians it hosts in hotel quarantine, saying the measure would increase NSW's quarantine burden.
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WA - in the midst of a COVID-19 snap lockdown - and the federal government are at loggerheads over who is responsible for hotel quarantine.
WA Premier Mark McGowan wants Canberra to open military bases and Christmas Island to quarantine overseas travellers.
But Defence Minister Peter Dutton has pushed back against the idea, saying such facilities are not fit for purpose for returned travellers.
Mr McGowan this weekend also criticised the Commonwealth for allowing so many people to leave the country during the pandemic.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday said restrictions on inbound and outbound international travel were "not a call for the states", and that states and territories should be pragmatic by fortifying hotel quarantine.
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She emphasised that occasional quarantine leaks were inevitable.
"We've been (taking) the overwhelming majority of people coming back to Australia through Sydney Airport," Ms Berejiklian told reporters.
"I'd be very disappointed if, because of an incident, a premier decided they didn't want to welcome as many people home, because it does put extra pressure on NSW ... these incidents are going to happen, we deal with it.
"It is not really healthy to have these blame games."
WA's lockdown was sparked by two local transmission cases which have been traced back to a Perth Mercure Hotel used for quarantine.
NSW recorded zero new local COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, and eight new cases in hotel quarantine.
More than 553,000 vaccinations have been administered in NSW.
Those who have arrived in NSW from WA since Saturday are obliged to comply with the same lockdown provisions imposed on the Perth and Peel regions.
Ms Berejiklian said the sooner overseas Australians arrive home, the sooner other people - such as international students - can return.
"(That) will benefit us creating jobs and making sure our health stays strong but our economy stays strong as well," Ms Berejiklian said.
Australian Associated Press
