Victoria will shut its border to all of New South Wales at 11.59pm tomorrow, Friday January 1. The border is already closed to people coming from Greater Sydney and the Central Coast.
The government announced the move in response to eight currently active cases of coronavirus, all linked to a recent traveller from New South Wales. Victoria Police will continue to guard the roads, while authorised officers will monitor arrivals at airports.
“This is not an easy choice – and certainly not one we wanted to make on a day that’s supposed to be about celebrating,” Acting Premier Jacinta Allan said in a statement.
Victorians currently in parts of New South Wales designated “green zones” have until 11.59pm tomorrow night to return home. Those currently in the Blue Mountains City Council and Wollongong City Council areas must apply for a new permit before returning.
All Victorians, regardless of which part of New South Wales they’re coming from, must get tested for coronavirus and quarantine for 14 days upon returning home. These rules apply even to those who arrive before the border closes.
“For those in our border communities, we understand that you need to be able to travel in between New South Wales and Victoria, and we will have a process in place to allow that to happen,” Allan said. “Details will be confirmed shortly.”
Existing exceptions for freight workers, domestic air crews, medical and emergency services will remain in place.
From 5pm today masks also became mandatory in all indoor spaces that aren’t private homes, and the number of people allowed to visit a home was halved to 15 per day.
