Key information for NSW Southern Border communities related to travel and stay at home orders.
New South Wales:
Victoria: The Victorian Premier announced today restrictions will ease from 11:59pm 17 February 2021. The summary of events is available here for your information.
South Australia: Will reopen to regional Victoria from midnight tonight, but SA is maintaining a hard border with Greater Melbourne. That will only be lifted after 14 days of no community transmission in Victoria, and currently that would be on February 25. This will allow for transit between NSW and SA via the Sturt Hwy.
Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine National Roll-out Strategy tells you:
Priority first groups include:
Learn more here.
A new public health order was put in place on Friday regarding “affected areas and places of high concern”. The details of which is available here and here.
This means that from 5 February, rules apply to people who:
If you are 16 years and over and have been in an interstate affected area, you must:
If you have been in an interstate place of high concern within the time specified in a COVID-19 concerns notice, you must not enter NSW unless you are a NSW resident. If you are a returning NSW resident and you have been in a place of high concern at the time specified in a COVID-19 concerns notice, you must:
Victoria: affected areas and case locations
The state of Victoria has been declared an affected area.
Update 12 January 2021 - COVID-19 TRAVEL UPDATE FOR VIC-NSW
The Victorian government has introduced a new Victorian Travel Permit System based on traffic lights. This has softened the hard border between Victoria and NSW. For visitors our region is now an orange zone (as is all regional NSW) meaning visitors from Victoria can apply for a re-entry permit to Victoria but must take a have a COVID-19 test & isolate until a negative test result is received.
The existing rules for border community residents (including Snowy Monaro) in NSW and VIC remained unchanged. You are able to travel within the border bubble with your driver's license as proof of address.
NEW border permit system information here: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-travel-permit-system.
Update 4 January - Calls to COVID-19 triage line
Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) is reminding the community that bookings are not required to get a free COVID-19 test at most testing clinics.
While callers can pre-register by calling the 1800 318 248 COVID line, it is not essential.
Pop up testing clinic updateSouth East Regional Hospital will continue to provide a drive through testing clinic Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm and 10am – 3pm on weekends.
The Pambula drive-through pop up clinic will close on Friday 8 January. Pambula Hospital will continue to provide a weekday testing service, 9am – 4pm, by appointment only. To register call 1800 318 248.
For a list of testing clinics in the Southern NSW Local Health District Area go to: https://www.snswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/our-services/infectious-disease/covid-19
SNSWLHD is urging anyone feeling unwell – even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose, scratchy or sore throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, nausea, diarrhoea or muscle aches – to self-isolate and seek COVID-19 testing, so that cases in the community are identified as quickly as possible.
To help stop the spread of COVID-19:
For up-to-date statistics NSW Health
Read more COVID-19 FAQs
The Victorian government has issued amendments to their cross border travel directions over the weekend – which can be found in New South Wales Border Crossing Permit Scheme Directions (No 6). A media release on the changes to Agriculture is available here.
The main changes are:
(a) an agricultural worker who is required to enter and be physically present in Victoria to provide agricultural services provided under the Agricultural Worker’s Code;
(b) a commercial freight worker who is required to enter and be physically present in Victoria for the purpose of providing commercial freight services;
(c) an essential service worker who is required to enter and be physically present in Victoria for the purpose of providing an essential service.
(a) to provide, receive or accompany a dependant who is to receive, emergency or essential medical care or other urgent care; or
Example: essential medical care includes medical care requiring continuity of treatment, such as chemotherapy or dialysis treatment.
Example: other urgent care may include essential care for a person with a disability or a dependant of a person, if there are no alternate care arrangements available, but does not include ordinary child-minding services.
(b) to provide or receive emergency services or to ensure the provision of telecommunications, critical infrastructure, essential prevention and recovery from emergencies and essential public services (including emergency workers, healthcare workers, care facility workers and child protection workers).Whilst these measures do not apply to areas outside Greater Sydney (including Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains), we urge all residents and visitors across the State to practise COVID safe behaviours and get tested even if symptoms are mild.
People are still encouraged to limit non-essential gatherings and reduce their mobility where possible to further minimise the risk of transmission in the community.
People who live in a border community who have not left the border area in the last 14 days can travel to another border community in the ‘border bubble’ without a permit. This means that anyone who is a resident of a Victorian border community is able to travel to a NSW border community to holiday or work, and residents of Snowy Monaro LGA and other NSW border communities who wish to travel to a Victorian border community can do so.
You must carry valid photo ID showing your current address as evidence that you reside in an exempt border community. Once you have reached your intended border community, you cannot travel out of it unless you are returning home.
The border communities (local government areas) exempt from needing a permit to travel within the border bubble across the two states are as follows:
VICTORIA:
Alpine Valley, Benalla, Bendigo, Buloke, Campaspe, East Gippsland, Gannawarra, Indigo, Loddon, Mildura, Moira, Shepparton, Swan Hill, Towong, Wangaratta, Wodonga, Yarriambiack.
NSW:
Albury City, Balranald, Bega Valley, Berrigan, Broken Hill, Edward River, Federation, Greater Hume, Hay, Lockhart, Murray River, Murrumbidgee, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valley, Wagga Wagga, Wentworth.
Please monitor the latest official government advice for the most current information https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
Border Direction: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/victorias-restriction-levels-covid-19
FAQ: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-border-crossing-permit
Hospitality businesses and hairdressers are being reminded to download and use the NSW Government’s Service NSW QR code for registrations, or risk serious penalties, with the new rules taking effect from 1 January, 2021.
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the Government’s Service NSW QR code system is fast, free, accurate and private.
“The consequences of non-compliance and complacency when it comes to electronic record keeping are serious - it puts people’s health at risk and destroys jobs,” Mr Dominello said.
“The feedback we’ve received from contact tracers is that the Service NSW QR code is the most effective system in assisting NSW Health to protect the community.
“Our QR code also prevents the use of fake names as a customer’s personal details are automatically captured via the Service NSW app when they scan their smartphone over the QR code.
“We must be vigilant and cannot rest on our laurels. Businesses are already required to have electronic registrations and this move will strengthen our resilience further.
“Non-compliance is easy to detect and won’t be tolerated. Pursuant to the Public Health Orders you either have the Service NSW QR code or you don’t. There will be no ifs or buts. Penalties include $5,000 on-the-spot fines, followed by a week’s closure and month’s closure if problems continue.
“About 50,000 NSW Government QR codes are being used by businesses and more than 2 million customers having scanned one of our QR codes, with 94 per cent giving it the thumbs up.”
Mr Dominello encouraged customers to download the Service NSW app prior to the new rules taking effect on 1 January, 2021.
“It only takes minutes to do and seconds for businesses to check, which helps keep people safe and the economy open,” Mr Dominello said.
Businesses are also required to ensure that they have sighted the customers’ green tick prior to entry to comply with the orders.
Personal information obtained by businesses will be held securely by the Government and only used by NSW Health in the event of an outbreak. It will be destroyed after 28 days.
Customers without a smartphone will be able to register at businesses via other digital devices, such as an electronic form on a tablet.
The Government will consider expanding the mandate to other industries later in the new year and will keep the community informed.
Update 30 October 2020 -
Masks help our community work and play during the pandemic
Our community continues to work together to keep COVID-19 case numbers low. By continuing to make small changes to our lives like washing hands, keeping our distance and getting tested if we feel unwell, we can keep the virus in check.
Wearing a mask when we can’t distance is another small step each of us can do that can make a big difference throughout the pandemic – that’s because there is always the risk that someone may have the virus and not yet know they do.
While avoiding crowds and keeping our 1.5m distance is still the most effective, there are times where this is not possible. This is when wearing a mask is important – particularly indoors where the risk is higher such as in shopping centres, places of worship and on public transport.
While wearing a mask in NSW is not mandatory, it can help stop the virus spreading and keep our numbers down. This means local businesses and schools can stay open, we can play our sport, see our family and friends and get on with life during these challenging times.
Find more information on the types of mask to wear, where to buy them and how to wear them safely at nsw.gov.au
For guidance on how to make a cloth mask, visit NSW Health.