Page 2566 - Week 09 - Thursday, 16 September 2021
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I thank ACT Policing, Access Canberra, the Health Protection Service, WorkSafe ACT and the Australian Defence Force members for their important engagement, compliance and enforcement work and all other ACT directorates and agencies that have adjusted their services in myriad ways to ensure that their critical work can continue. I thank the many non-government organisations that have done so much in so many ways, not only in response to outbreaks of concern but also in continuing to provide their essential services to support our community. We also continue to work closely with the commonwealth Department of Health and relevant New South Wales local health districts, particularly Southern and Murrumbidgee. Together as a community we have responded strongly to this outbreak.
This has been a trying time for Canberrans. However, the community’s efforts to stay at home, follow the public health directions, to minimise travel and contact with others during this period of lockdown have been so very vital to our efforts in reducing the spread of this outbreak. I acknowledge that this has been an incredibly challenging time for many in our community. These decisions are not taken lightly but are taken on the very best advice to protect the health and wellbeing of Canberrans. I thank the entire Canberra community for continuing to do the right thing to keep Canberra safe and strong.
The significant increase in COVID-19 case numbers in Australia, particularly within New South Wales over the past month, has been largely driven by the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Lockdown and restrictions and strong public health social measures continue across New South Wales and Victoria in an effort to slow and suppress the spread of the virus.
The situation has been more stable in other jurisdictions. However, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have all recorded sporadic new cases. The Delta variant has presented challenges for the commonwealth, state and territory health authorities in reducing the potential of cases seeding across jurisdictions. This situation is playing out in many other countries around the world as well.
In New South Wales the COVID-19 situation is continuing to evolve, with more than 14,000 active locally acquired cases in the state as of 14 September. The New South Wales government implemented stay-at-home orders for all of regional New South Wales from 5 pm on 14 August following the detection of positive cases in several local government areas that were not already under stay-at-home orders. Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour remain under similar stay-at-home orders as case numbers continue to rise.
The ACT declared the entire state of New South Wales a COVID-19 affected area from 5 pm on 12 August due to an increase in positive cases reported in areas outside the Greater Sydney region. Travel restrictions remain in place for anyone travelling from New South Wales to the ACT, requiring all travellers to obtain an approved exemption prior to entry, including ACT residents.
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