Every Australian will have to get a permit to enter Victoria or face a $5,000 fine – even if they come from a state with NO coronavirus cases – as Dan Andrews finally opens borders with NSW
Victoria will reopen its borders to regional New South Wales but will remain off-limits to Sydney and Brisbane residents.
Premier Daniel Andrews declared the borders to reopen to regional areas on Monday night while announcing a ‘traffic light’ system aimed to keep Victoria safe when interstate travellers cross the border.
From 6pm Monday, anyone wanting to enter Victoria will need to apply for a permit which will be coloured red, orange or green, based on where you’re coming from and where you’ve been.
Travellers can expect a hefty $5000 fine if they turn up to the border without a permit.
Anyone coming from or has been in a red zone will not be allowed to enter Victoria without an exception or exemption.
An orange zone means that you will be able to apply for a permit and will need to take a coronavirus test within 72 hours after arrival in Victoria.
A green zone means you will be able to apply for a permit and enter Victoria but should remain alert for symptoms once they cross the border.
A new ‘traffic light’ system is being introduced to clear up Victorians’ confusion about where they can travel in Australia. Pictured is a motorist passing through a border checkpoint in Mallacoota in the state’s East Gippsland region
Regional NSW will go from a red zone to orange at 9pm Monday.
Victorians won’t be permitted travel to red zones and must meet strict conditions when returning home from a no-go zone.
‘It serves as advice for any Victorian travelling to other parts of the country. This is based on public health advice and gives to our public health team and every single Victorian clarity about what the status of every other part of our nation is,’ Premier Andrews said.
It comes after Victoria recorded zero new locally acquired coronavirus cases for a fifth consecutive day on Monday.
Just one new case was recorded, which was a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.
Around 18,660 tests have been conducted across the state in the last 24 hours.
Victoria currently has 40 active cases, down from 45 on Sunday.
Health authorities are now confident contact tracers are winning the battle against the recent 27-case outbreak linked to a Thai eatery in bayside Melbourne, which sparked fears of a third coronavirus wave for Victoria.
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