NSW Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, has announced a strict border zone, particularly for Albury-Wodonga residents, will be in place from midnight AEST on Tuesday, 21 July 2020.
Residents of NSW border towns will face stricter scrutiny for border permits to cross into Victoria – and only for “extremely limited purposes”– in order to protect NSW residents’ health and jobs, the Minister said.
Anyone with an existing permit will need to re-apply after those permits expire at midnight on Tuesday 21 July.
NSW residents will find it much harder to travel beyond the border zone into Victoria and will be required to self isolate for 14 days when they return to NSW.
“Essentially, unless you’re travelling across the border in the border zone for education, health or employment, you shouldn’t be going,” Mr Hazzard said.
“The daily matters where people were able to cross back and forth will no longer be possible — you can’t just pop across to do your shopping, it has to be now for the three designated reasons.”
The new restrictions mean border residents with a permit will only be able to cross the border zone for work, education or medical/health services, care or supplies.
- Staff or students of boarding schools or universities are required to self-isolate for 14 days and obtain a negative swab before attending school
- People entering NSW for child access or care arrangements, and freight workers, are required to have a COVID Safety Plan
- Critical service workers are required to self-isolate when not providing those services
- Entry for medical or hospital services will only be allowed where those services are not available in Victoria, or can’t be accessed remotely
- Seasonal workers from Victoria are banned from entering NSW
