NSW closed its border with Victoria today Wednesday 8 July, 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health and jobs of NSW citizens.
Public Health Order update
The temporary closure of the NSW/Victorian border came into effect from 12.01am Wednesday 8 July. It is supported by a new order, the Public Health (COVID-19 Border Control) Order 2020.
What are the rules?
- NSW residents travelling from Victoria to NSW will need an entry permit and will need to self-isolate for 14 days.
- Residents of border towns on both sides of the NSW/Victorian border need to secure a permit to cross the border. They do not need to isolate unless they have travelled to a place in Victoria outside a border community.
- Entry permits must be secured by both Point to Point Drivers and passengers and must be carried at crossings.
What does this mean for point to point drivers and passengers who live near the border?
From 12:01am on Wednesday 8 July, passengers wanting to travel from Victoria to NSW will need to secure entry permits from Service NSW .
People in border communities will be able to cross the border for work, or to receive essential health services — but they will still need a permit.
People who live in places like Albury-Wodonga, which straddle the state line, will be able to move between NSW and Victoria more freely once they have received their permit.
People caught lying on a permit application may be fined. The penalties for COVID-19 infringements remain a $11,000 fine and/or six months in jail.
What does this mean for Sydney Airport?
Travellers who are departing from or arriving at airports in NSW are urged to adhere to the directions of airline staff, airport security, and NSW Health practitioner and officers.
NSW Police and NSW Health at Sydney Airport and regional airports will continue with the screening of passengers arriving from Victoria, who are authorised to enter NSW under a permit.
Drivers picking up passengers from Sydney Airport are reminded to practice safe vehicle hygiene by wiping down the high-touch point surfaces of the vehicle.
What does this mean for Central Station?
All train and coach services operated by NSW TrainLink into and out of Victoria have stopped.
This includes the NSW TrainLink Melbourne to Sydney XPT service, which will only operate between Albury and Central Station.
Drivers picking up passengers from Central Station are reminded to practice safe vehicle hygiene by wiping down the high-touch point surfaces of the vehicle.
Ongoing point to point driver obligations:
If a driver of a point to point transport vehicle picks up a passenger – from a border town, or any place in NSW – who appears unwell or is spreading droplets (such as sneezing, coughing or vomiting) they should:
- wash their hands often with soap and water
- clean surfaces with appropriate disinfectant wipes so the potential
- spread of infection can be minimised
- use alcohol-based hand sanitiser where possible between hand washes and after opening and closing doors, moving luggage, exchanging payment and after personal contact
- use contactless payments where possible, to further reduce chances of community spread
Ongoing service provider obligations:
Report COVID-19 related incidences as Notifiable Occurrences via the Industry Portal.
For information on:
- Applying for a COVID-19 NSW border declaration permit – Service NSW
- Public health orders – health.nsw.gov.au/coronavirus
- Road closures – Live Traffic NSW
- Victorian’s restriction levels – Victoria Health and Human Services