- Published:
- Sunday 19 September 2021
The Chief Health Officer has declared the City of Greater Geelong, the Surf Coast and Mitchell Shire will enter a seven-day lockdown commencing at 11:59pm on Sunday 19 September, with restrictions the same as those in the City of Ballarat and metropolitan Melbourne, excluding the curfew.
Caseloads in Greater Geelong and Mitchell Shire have increased in recent days, with 17 and 15 active cases in these Local Government Areas respectively as of 18 September. A further 2 new cases in Geelong, 2 on the Surf Coast and 7 new cases in Mitchell Shire were confirmed in this morning’s numbers.
Under lockdown restrictions, you won’t be able to leave home other than for necessary goods and services, caregiving or compassionate reasons (including medical care and getting a COVID-19 test), authorised work or permitted education, exercise and outdoor social interaction in limited groups, and getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
You can also leave home to visit your intimate partner or single social bubble buddy. Shopping, exercise and outdoor social interaction will be limited to 10km from your home. Masks will be mandatory indoors and outdoors – and there will still be no visitors allowed to the home.
You have four hours a day for exercise and outdoor social interaction. You can meet with one other person, or up to four others from two households if all present have received two vaccine doses. Dependants can also join you.
The Chief Health Officer has also declared that 66 Local Government Areas in NSW, plus Jervis Bay, will move from an Extreme Risk Zone to a Red Zone under Victoria’s travel permit system.
This will help Victorians who have only been in these areas to come home, where they need to isolate for 14 days and get tested regularly. The areas changing are those which are not in lockdown and are listed here: www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/limited-restrictions.
All LGAs on the NSW-Victorian border are becoming red zones – except for Albury, which is in lockdown. If you live in the cross-border community – and you haven’t left the cross-border area or you haven’t been in an Extreme Risk Zone any time in the previous 14 days – you can cross the border and enter Victoria without a permit for any reason.
People who have been in an Extreme Risk Zone – such as Albury – in the previous 14 days are still required to obtain a Cross-Border Community – Extreme Risk Zone permit and travel only for permitted reasons should they wish to enter or re-enter Victoria. Limited exemptions and exceptions, and other valid permits, apply.
For more info on restrictions, visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covidsafe-settings. For more info on Victoria’s travel permit system, visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-travel-permit-system. These pages will be updated at 11:59pm to include the new areas in lockdown and the new travel zone designations.
Quote attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“If you’re in Geelong, Surf Coast or Mitchell Shire, follow the restrictions, get tested if you have symptoms, and get vaccinated if you haven’t already. Regional communities have overcome outbreaks before – and this will be no different.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Health Martin Foley
“We know that communities along the border have seen a lot of changes to the system, but it’s good news that most border residents will be able to use the permit exception that used to be in place – and additionally, many Victorians who have been in regional New South Wales will now be able to come home to isolate in Victoria.”