Page 1574 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 2 June 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
infectious from 23 May. Several close contacts subsequently tested positive and had visited locations in the community while infectious.
As of 1 June 2021, the outbreak in Victoria had grown to a total of 54 cases, with one person being treated in the ICU. Victorian health authorities have expressed concern about the types of exposure locations that have been identified. There are more than 300 exposure sites in Victoria, including some regional locations outside metropolitan Melbourne, and a very large number of close contacts identified. In the ACT, as of 9 am, 1 June, a total of seven close contacts and 13 casual contacts have come forward and are following the health advice to quarantine or to test and isolate until they receive a negative test result.
On 27 May 2021, the Victorian government announced the introduction of a lockdown for all of Victoria for a period of seven days, commencing from 11.59 pm on 27 May. In response to this announcement, the ACT Chief Health Officer declared a stay-at-home requirement for anyone who left Victoria after 11.59 pm on 27 May 2021 and then entered the ACT. Additionally, the Chief Health Officer has declared the City of Whittlesea in greater Melbourne as a COVID-19 place of concern due to concern about undetected community transmission in this local government area.
From 11.59 pm on 27 May, anyone who has been to the City of Whittlesea in the past 14 days must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result. If subject to a stay-at-home requirement, of course, those people must abide by this until the requirement is lifted. ACT residents may return home but must complete a declaration form within 24 hours prior to arriving in the ACT. Stay-at-home requirements mean that anyone arriving from Victoria after 11.59 pm on 27 May must travel directly to their residence to complete the stay-at-home period. At this stage, the stay-at-home requirement will remain in place until at least 11.59 pm on 3 June, to mirror the Victorian restrictions.
Those subject to the stay-at-home requirement may only leave their residence for an approved essential purpose. These are: to undertake essential work if you cannot work from home or remotely; to shop for essentials like groceries, medicine and necessary supplies; to attend to medical or healthcare needs including compassionate requirements, looking after the vulnerable; to attend a facility to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, where eligible for a vaccination in the ACT and an appointment has been booked, and the individual is not in isolation or in quarantine; to exercise outdoors, limited to one hour per day; and for essential animal welfare purposes, for example, to feed pets or livestock that live elsewhere. In addition, all individuals aged 12 years and over must wear a mask at all times upon leaving their premises for the approved reasons, except when individuals are undertaking vigorous exercise outdoors.
While these restrictions are in place, non-ACT residents who have been in Victoria are not able to enter the ACT without an approved exemption from ACT Health prior to arrival. Even if an exemption is approved, individuals will still be required to follow the stay-at-home order in the ACT. The declaration form and exemption form are available on the COVID-19 website at www.covid19.act.gov.au.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video