Updates to requirements for COVID-19 close contacts and travel

The ACT’s travel restrictions will be amended from 11.59pm tonight, while the Acting Chief Health Officer will also make changes to quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated close contacts of Omicron COVID-19 cases.

Changes to travel restrictions

ACT Health is updating restrictions for domestic and international travellers to the ACT from 11.59pm tonight.

Except for close contacts of interstate cases, there will no longer be any restrictions on interstate travel to the ACT.

People will no longer need to fill out a declaration or exemption form to travel to the ACT, and all remaining high-risk geographical areas will be removed. Close contacts must follow the advice on the ACT COVID-19 website, and this may include seeking an exemption to enter the ACT.

The 3 day quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated overseas arrivals will be retained, and this is likely to remain over the Christmas and New Year period.

However, the additional requirement to undertake 14 days hotel quarantine for fully vaccinated arrivals who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and/or Malawi during the 14 days prior to arrival will be removed.

Fully vaccinated travellers from these countries will now only need to quarantine for three days, in line with other international arrivals.

Unvaccinated international arrivals will continue to need to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine period at their port of entry.

Changes to quarantine requirements

Close contacts of Omicron variant cases will now be required to follow the same quarantine requirements as all other close contacts of COVID-19 cases in the ACT.

This means that fully vaccinated close contacts of Omicron cases will now only need to quarantine for seven days from their last exposure and follow ACT Health guidance about movement in the community for days 8-14 post-exposure.

In addition, household secondary contacts of Omicron close contacts will no longer be required to quarantine as secondary contacts.

All fully vaccinated close contacts of Omicron cases who are currently in the second week of their quarantine period will be contacted by ACT Health this afternoon to advise they can leave quarantine at 11.59pm tonight, subject to having received a negative result from their day 6 test.

Testing requirements for close contacts have not changed – with tests required on entry into quarantine, day 6 and day 13.

Unvaccinated close contacts will continue to be required to undertake 14 days of quarantine.

While quarantine requirements are being eased, given the increased risk of potential transmission of the Omicron variant and rising case numbers in neighbouring jurisdictions, ACT Health is updating its advice to fully vaccinated close contacts to limit their movement in the community from days 8-14 following exposure.

Affected individuals will be asked to minimise their movement in public spaces wherever possible, not enter high-risk settings, avoid mass gatherings and the use of public transport.

This includes attending large end-of-year events where we have seen increasing rates of transmission in NSW.

People are also encouraged to wear a mask while in indoor spaces outside their home.

Other requirements can be found on the ACT COVID-19 website.

Thanks to our world-leading vaccination rates and the low numbers of cases in the ACT over recent weeks, we are fortunate to be in a position where we can continue to maintain low level Public Health Social Measures (PHSM) and ease requirements for close contacts of Omicron cases.

However, we all have a responsibility to continue to maintain our COVID Smart behaviours, practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene, and wear masks where they are mandated. As we have seen in neighbouring jurisdictions in recent days, the situation can change quickly.

Further information on these requirements will be available this afternoon on the ACT COVID-19 website.