Page 1583 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 July 2020
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In responding to the ongoing Victorian situation, the government acted swiftly, with the Chief Health Officer putting into place new public health directions to keep Canberrans safe. In developing the directions, the Chief Health Officer conducts a risk assessment of community transmission in the location of the cases and assesses the likelihood of ACT residents to have visited or travelled through those locations.
On 2 July 2020 the Chief Health Officer signed the Public Health (COVID-19 Interstate Hotspots) Emergency Direction 2020, which commenced at 7 am on 3 July 2020, to complement the Victorian government’s stay-at-home orders for those living within COVID-19 hotspots. This direction has since been updated four times, reflecting the rapid change in the situation in Victoria and New South Wales.
Initially, this direction required anyone arriving in the ACT from a COVID-19 hotspot in Victoria to quarantine for 14 days at their own expense or return home at the earliest opportunity. The government also began asking passengers on inbound flights, buses and trains from Melbourne to provide identification on arrival to support this new direction.
Seeing the rise in cases each day, the government strongly advised Canberrans not to travel to the Melbourne metropolitan area except for essential purposes, and to closely monitor for COVID-19 symptoms if they had recently returned to the ACT.
The decision made by New South Wales and Victoria on 6 July 2020 to introduce border restrictions commencing on 8 July was welcomed by the ACT government. To support this decision, the ACT government further strengthened border protections from 12.01 am on Wednesday, 8 July.
The introduction of the Public Health (COVID-19 Interstate Travellers) Emergency Direction 2020 prohibits travel from Victoria to the ACT by non-ACT residents unless an exemption is granted. ACT residents are required to notify ACT Health of their return to the territory and to self-quarantine for 14 days. This measure will significantly reduce the likelihood of the virus spreading from Victoria into the Canberra region and aligns to the measures introduced by New South Wales.
We have been clear in our advice to any Canberran planning to visit Victoria: do not travel unless absolutely necessary; and be aware that you will have to quarantine for a full 14 days when you return to the ACT. Any ACT resident who is unable to safely quarantine in their private residence is provided with options for suitable accommodation where they can quarantine at their own expense.
Victorians should not be travelling, and we have been very strict in establishing exemption criteria. Anyone from Victoria trying to enter the ACT without an exemption will be denied entry and risks a fine.
The ACT Health Directorate has received a large number of exemption requests and the team is assessing each application closely. I would like to give a shout-out to the team in the office of the Chief Health Officer, who worked incredibly hard, especially over the first weekend after the restrictions were implemented, to get through a very
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