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States and territories introduce border restrictions as Melbourne COVID-19 cluster evolves
As Melbourne's new COVID-19 cluster progresses, will this affect your travel plans?
Here are current restrictions from other states and territories for Victorian travellers:
Queensland
● Queensland Health has declared the local government area of Whittlesea City a hotspot.
● Only Queensland residents who have been in the region since Tuesday, May 11, can return to the state, but they will have to go straight into hotel quarantine.
● Non-residents need an approved exemption to enter, but must still complete the mandated government-approved quarantine.
NSW
● NSW non-residents who have visited a Victorian close contact site cannot enter NSW.
● Non-residents who have visited a casual contact site must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test before entering NSW.
● For a list of the classified sites, visit nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/border-restrictions
● NSW residents who have been to either close or casual contact sites must immediately self-isolate for however many days are left of the 14 days since they visited that site.
● All travellers from Greater Melbourne must complete a self-declaration form either 24 hours prior to entering or upon entering NSW.
South Australia
● South Australia imposed a hard border with Greater Melbourne from 6 pm Wednesday night.
● Only essential travellers and returning SA residents are allowed in, and will need to quarantine for 14 days.
● Anyone who has already travelled to SA from Greater Melbourne since May 20, and anyone travelling from the Bendigo area, will need to take a test on days one, five and 13 and isolate until receiving a negative result.
Western Australia
● All Victorian travellers must now be tested within 48 hours of arriving in Western Australia, and self-quarantine until they return a negative result.
● At this stage, people who arrived from Victoria before 6 pm Tuesday, May 25, will not be forced to isolate unless they have visited a potential exposure site.
● But Premier Mark McGowan warned stricter border controls remained a possibility.
Tasmania
● Currently, travellers who have spent time in any high-risk areas are not permitted to enter Tasmania.
● People who are already in the state must self-isolate and call the public health hotline.
● Anyone else travelling from Victoria can still enter — but if they develop symptoms, they must isolate and call the hotline.
● Premier Peter Gutwein said if the cluster worsened, Tasmania was poised to enforce hard borders.
Northern Territory
● People who have visited a Tier 1 exposure site must travel to a suitable place of quarantine and remain there for 14 days from the date of visiting that site and get a COVID test.
● Anyone who has visited a Tier 2 exposure site must get a COVID test and self-isolate until they are notified of the test results.
● Anyone who has visited the Northern Territory from Greater Melbourne since May 6 and is showing COVID symptoms must self-isolate and get a COVID test.
ACT
● ACT residents who have visited an exposure site should contact ACT Health and immediately quarantine for 14 days since last attending the venue.
● ACT non-residents who have visited an exposure site must not enter the ACT unless they have an exemption, or must immediately quarantine if already in the ACT.
● Travellers already in the ACT who have been in Greater Melbourne in the past 14 days must complete an online declaration form at covid19.act.gov.au
New Zealand
● New Zealand has paused its travel bubble with Victoria for at least 72 hours while the source of the Melbourne cluster is investigated.