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The ACT’s northern beaches hotspot declaration could be removed as early as next week. It would pave the way for free travel between Canberra and most of NSW and Sydney. However, ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said restrictions on travelling to parts of western Sydney may need to be in place longer. It came as NSW recorded a second day in a row of no locally acquired cases of COVID-19. Chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman will review the situation on Monday and make an announcement on Tuesday. “We are pleased and she is pleased about what we’re seeing in NSW,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “But what we also know is we do need to wait that two weeks for that incubation period and potential new chains of transmission to become apparent in some of those new areas in the south and south west of the greater Sydney area to really understand what the risk in those areas is. “I think we well understand the potential risk in the northern beaches and it’s really a wait and see for another week from the previous decision point last Monday and Tuesday. “For the south west, we’re probably only a week into a two-week [period] thinking about what the potential risk is in that area.” Currently, non-ACT residents who have been in 11 local government areas in the northern beaches and western Sydney are not allowed to enter the territory without an exemption. Territory residents can return home but must notify ACT Health and complete 14 days’ quarantine. Prior to Tuesday, the border ban extended to all of greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast. It comes as the territory continues to prepare locally for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines from as early as next month. “Health ministers will be meeting next week to talk about the progress in developing the vaccine rollout program,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “We’ve got people working really hard to map what the rollout is going to look like in the ACT and what our role is in it.” Dr Coleman on Friday marked 150,000 negative COVID-19 tests results in the ACT. “Thank you for your strength and resilience Canberra,” she said. “Getting tested when you develop any COVID-19 symptoms, is helping to protect yourself, your loved ones and the Canberra community. “Although we currently don’t have any active cases, we need to continue to get tested – it’s our best surveillance tool against the virus.”
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The ACT’s northern beaches hotspot declaration could be removed as early as next week.
It would pave the way for free travel between Canberra and most of NSW and Sydney.
However, ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said restrictions on travelling to parts of western Sydney may need to be in place longer.
It came as NSW recorded a second day in a row of no locally acquired cases of COVID-19.
Chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman will review the situation on Monday and make an announcement on Tuesday.
“We are pleased and she is pleased about what we’re seeing in NSW,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“But what we also know is we do need to wait that two weeks for that incubation period and potential new chains of transmission to become apparent in some of those new areas in the south and south west of the greater Sydney area to really understand what the risk in those areas is.
“I think we well understand the potential risk in the northern beaches and it’s really a wait and see for another week from the previous decision point last Monday and Tuesday.
“For the south west, we’re probably only a week into a two-week [period] thinking about what the potential risk is in that area.”
Currently, non-ACT residents who have been in 11 local government areas in the northern beaches and western Sydney are not allowed to enter the territory without an exemption.
Territory residents can return home but must notify ACT Health and complete 14 days’ quarantine.
Prior to Tuesday, the border ban extended to all of greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast.
It comes as the territory continues to prepare locally for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines from as early as next month.
“Health ministers will be meeting next week to talk about the progress in developing the vaccine rollout program,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“We’ve got people working really hard to map what the rollout is going to look like in the ACT and what our role is in it.”
Dr Coleman on Friday marked 150,000 negative COVID-19 tests results in the ACT.
“Thank you for your strength and resilience Canberra,” she said.
“Getting tested when you develop any COVID-19 symptoms, is helping to protect yourself, your loved ones and the Canberra community.
“Although we currently don’t have any active cases, we need to continue to get tested – it’s our best surveillance tool against the virus.”
