23 June 2021

Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation in New South Wales (NSW), the ACT Government is updating travel directions for people travelling to the ACT from affected areas of NSW.

People should not be travelling between Greater Sydney and the ACT at this time.

From 4.00pm today, the ACT Government will introduce a new ‘stay-at-home’ requirement for anyone who leaves the following seven (7) Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Greater Sydney – City of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside and Woollahra – and enters the ACT.

In addition, anyone who has been in the broader Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Nepean Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour regions of NSW (including the LGAs above) in the past 14 days, will need to complete an& online declaration form on the COVID-19 website. This form will be available from 6.00pm tonight (23 June). This is to ensure we are able to contact people if travel directions need to be escalated in the coming days.

At this time, these requirements will remain in place for at least one week, until 11.59pm Wednesday 30 June 2021.

If you must travel for essential reasons, you must abide by all public health directions in place in NSW and the ACT. This includes changing travel plans and adhering to public health instructions upon your return.

ACT Health is continuing to monitor the situation very closely and will put in place further directions if required in order to keep our community safe. We will provide regular updates on the evolving situation.

Stay-at-home requirements

If you are an ACT resident and are leaving the affected LGAs on or after 4.00pm today and entering the ACT you need to:

  • Complete an online declaration form within 24 hours prior to arriving in the ACT or within 24 hours from the commencement of the new stay at home requirements.
  • Travel directly to the residence where you will spend the stay-at-home period. You should only leave the residence for an approved essential purpose. The stay-at-home requirement will be in place until at least 11.59pm on 30 June 2021.
  • Everyone aged 12 years and over must wear a mask if leaving their premises for any of these essential purposes. Mask wearing is not required if undertaking vigorous exercise outdoors.

Non-ACT residents who are in these LGAs will not be able to enter the ACT without an approved exemption. Exemptions will only granted for extraordinary circumstances, and even if an exemption is approved, you will still be required to follow the stay-at-home order in the ACT.

Exposure Locations

People in the ACT who have been in New South Wales in the last 14 days should continue to check the COVID-19 Areas of Concern information to see if they have been in any exposure locations.

If you have been in an exposure location, you must follow the relevant health directions.

With the Bondi cluster continuing to grow, exposure locations in Greater Sydney are being updated as soon as the information becomes available, so people need to re-check this information regularly and take the health directions seriously.

Transiting through Greater Sydney?

You can transit through Greater Sydney, including the seven identified LGAs, and enter the ACT, if you:

  • did not exit the airport, motor vehicle or train you were travelling in unless to get to your next mode of transport
  • are entering the ACT for urgent medical, law enforcement or emergency purposes
  • are entering by road for transport or freight
  • completed an unbroken 14 day period of hotel quarantine and travelled directly to the ACT.

If you comply with any of the above conditions you will not be subject to the stay-at-home requirement or be required to declare or seek an exemption.

For information on transiting and our exemptions go to:www.covid19.act.gov.au/travel/entering-the-act/travel-directions-in-the-act/standing-exemptions-including-transiting