coronavirus, COVID-19 news, coronavirus news, ACT government, Northern Beaches cluster
People entering the ACT from Sydney and its surrounding regions will have to quarantine from 11.59pm tonight as the territory government moves to stop COVID-19 spreading to Canberra. Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith announced on Sunday afternoon that the quarantine period would be 14 days. The quarantine requirements would cover anyone travelling from Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Nepean Blue Mountains. Returning ACT residents will be able to quarantine at home. ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman will sign a new public health direction later tonight to make the new arrangements legally enforceable. A more detailed list of locations affected will be released later tonight. “This is not about stopping ACT residents coming home,” Dr Coleman said. Ms Stephen-Smith said people who were not ACT residents should not travel to Canberra if they had been in Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Nepean Blue Mountains. Those who come to the ACT will be required to quarantine, and anyone staying at the same premises will also be required to quarantine. ACT Health said it would not consider exemption requests for non-residents coming from Greater Sydney, except in extreme extenuating circumstances. Travellers from Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Nepean Blue Mountains are required to notify ACT Health in advance of their arrival by completing an online declaration. The form is expected to be available on the ACT COVID-19 website later tonight. The ACT government warned the community to be prepared for the restrictions to continue over Christmas and the New Year period. Ms Stephen-Smith also urged Canberrans to reconsider their need to travel within NSW. She encouraged anyone considering travelling to any jurisdiction in Australia to monitor its border and quarantine requirements. “Many jurisdictions are perfectly reasonably treating the ACT as if it is part of regional NSW. Some are not. And so it’s really important that you look at the website information and the public health information for the jurisdiction that you are intending to visit to understand what restrictions may be in place,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. The NSW government has tightened its own coronavirus restrictions after a COVID-19 cluster in Sydney ballooned to 70 cases, but its chief health official said it may never be able to find the source. READ MORE: NSW recorded another 30 cases in the 24 hours to 9am on Sunday with 28 linked to the cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches. Anyone who has visited the northern beaches from Friday December 11 is legally required in the ACT to self-quarantine for 14 days from the date they were last there and get tested, even if they do not have symptoms. People must stay in quarantine for the whole 14 days, even if they have a negative test result.
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People entering the ACT from Sydney and its surrounding regions will have to quarantine from 11.59pm tonight as the territory government moves to stop COVID-19 spreading to Canberra.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith announced on Sunday afternoon that the quarantine period would be 14 days.
The quarantine requirements would cover anyone travelling from Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Nepean Blue Mountains.
Returning ACT residents will be able to quarantine at home.
ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman will sign a new public health direction later tonight to make the new arrangements legally enforceable. A more detailed list of locations affected will be released later tonight.
“This is not about stopping ACT residents coming home,” Dr Coleman said.
Ms Stephen-Smith said people who were not ACT residents should not travel to Canberra if they had been in Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Nepean Blue Mountains.
Those who come to the ACT will be required to quarantine, and anyone staying at the same premises will also be required to quarantine.
ACT Health said it would not consider exemption requests for non-residents coming from Greater Sydney, except in extreme extenuating circumstances.
Travellers from Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Nepean Blue Mountains are required to notify ACT Health in advance of their arrival by completing an online declaration. The form is expected to be available on the ACT COVID-19 website later tonight.
The ACT government warned the community to be prepared for the restrictions to continue over Christmas and the New Year period.
Ms Stephen-Smith also urged Canberrans to reconsider their need to travel within NSW.
She encouraged anyone considering travelling to any jurisdiction in Australia to monitor its border and quarantine requirements.
“Many jurisdictions are perfectly reasonably treating the ACT as if it is part of regional NSW. Some are not. And so it’s really important that you look at the website information and the public health information for the jurisdiction that you are intending to visit to understand what restrictions may be in place,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The NSW government has tightened its own coronavirus restrictions after a COVID-19 cluster in Sydney ballooned to 70 cases, but its chief health official said it may never be able to find the source.
NSW recorded another 30 cases in the 24 hours to 9am on Sunday with 28 linked to the cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Anyone who has visited the northern beaches from Friday December 11 is legally required in the ACT to self-quarantine for 14 days from the date they were last there and get tested, even if they do not have symptoms.
People must stay in quarantine for the whole 14 days, even if they have a negative test result.
