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The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has today made it easier for people to travel into the nation's capital from NSW, lifting quarantine restrictions on those who have been in the Central Coast, Wollongong, Campbelltown, Wollondilly, Penrith and the Blue Mountains.
These local government areas (LGAs) have been removed from the list of the territory's COVID-affected areas.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said this meant the following 11 LGAs in Greater Sydney remain on the list:
- Northern Beaches
- Blacktown City
- Burwood
- Canada Bay
- Canterbury Bankstown
- Cumberland
- Fairfield City
- Inner West
- Liverpool City
- Parramatta City
- Strathfield
"ACT residents and non-residents currently in quarantine from those 11 specific local government areas that I have just listed still need to complete their 14-day quarantine period," Barr (pictured) said.
"If you are uncertain about your status, you will of course receive information from ACT Health, so everyone will be informed of this change.
"These changes that affect some areas within the New South Wales are of course a positive step forward, but it's not a sign that we can all collectively drop our guard to the virus."
NSW recorded five new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 overnight, while Queensland recorded three new cases who are all currently in hotel quarantine, one of whom is the partner of the hotel cleaner who contracted the more infectious UK strain of the virus.
More health alerts have been made for venues in Brisbane due to the new case's movements while infectious to Bunnings Warehouse in Acacia Ridge and Sunnybank Cellars on 5 and 6 of January respectively.
Updated at 3:10pm AEDT on 12 January 2021.
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