Due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation in NSW, the ACT Government has updated travel directions for people travelling to the ACT from Greater Sydney and the surrounding regions from 6pm today, Saturday 26 June.
In a statement, ACT Health said: “The safety of the ACT community is paramount and these strengthened travel restrictions are being put in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the Territory. These restrictions align with the Greater Sydney lockdown that has been announced by the NSW Government today and will assist in containing the outbreak.
“From 6pm tonight, the stay-at-home order currently in place for Metropolitan Sydney will be extended to cover all of Greater Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong regions.
“No travel to and from the whole of Greater Sydney and surrounding regions should take place at this time.
“While we will not be tightening gathering or business restrictions here in the ACT, we are monitoring the situation closely. In the event that the NSW situation continues to escalate, we are prepared to take relevant precautions as necessary to protect the ACT community. The community and businesses should be prepared for rapid changes.”
Stay-at-home requirements
- ACT Health advises: “If you are currently in the ACT or a returning ACT resident and were in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong on or after 21 June 2021, you must:
- 1. Complete an online declaration form within 24 hours from the commencement of the new stay-at-home requirements. The declaration form will be available on the ACT COVID-19 website from 6pm.
- 2. Travel directly to the residence where you will spend the stay-at-home period. You should only leave the residence for an approved essential purpose. The stay-at-home requirement will be in place until 11.59pm on Friday 9 July 2021. Everyone aged 12 years and over must wear a mask if leaving their premises for any of these essential purposes. Mask wearing is not required if undertaking vigorous exercise outdoors.
If you are a non-ACT resident subject to the stay-at-home requirement, and you cannot complete this stay-at-home safely in the ACT, please return home. Travel directly to your home of residence, minimise stops and practise COVID safe behaviours.
For non-ACT residents who were in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains Central Coast and Wollongong on or after 21 June, you will not be able to enter the ACT without an approved exemption. Exemptions will only be granted for extraordinary circumstances, and even if an exemption is approved, you will still be required to follow the stay-at-home order in the ACT.
At this time, these requirements will remain in place until 11.59pm Friday 9 July 2021, in line with the timeframes for NSW Health restrictions.
This evening, ACT Health will be contacting people via text who have completed the online declaration form since 23 June.
This is an evolving situation in NSW and ACT Health advises they will provide regular updates to the community as they have done throughout the pandemic.
Further information on these requirements were being made available on the COVID-19 website by 6pm tonight.
Exposure locations continue to increase
ACT Health advised that NSW Health has recently updated their list of COVID-19 exposure locations, some of which are considered of particularly high risk.
“One exposure location which is of great concern is Great Ocean Foods, located in Marrickville, from Monday 21 to Friday 25 June. If you have received a delivery from Great Ocean Foods during this time period, please immediately call ACT Health on (02) 5124 6500 and follow the public health instructions.
“In addition, people in the ACT who have been in NSW in the last 14 days should continue to check the COVID-19 Areas of Concern information on the ACT COVID-19 website to see if they have been in any exposure locations.
“If you have been in an exposure location, you must follow the relevant health directions.
“As the outbreak in Sydney is growing quickly, exposure sites in NSW are being updated as soon as the information becomes available. People need to re-check this information regularly and take the health directions seriously.”
New case of COVID-19 in NT
A new case of COVID-19 has detected at the Granites gold mine in the Northern Territory.
The NT Government is currently conducting contact tracing for workers and others who were at the mine during the time this positive case was infectious.
If anyone currently in the ACT receives a text from the NT Government, you should follow the NT health instructions and call ACT Health on (02) 5124 6500 to inform them of the contact.
ACT Health continuing to work with interstate colleagues to understand the impact this may have on the ACT.
