Further stay-at-home restrictions issued for returned Canberrans

Chief Minister Andrew Barr at the Canberra Airport precinct COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic yesterday. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

The ACT has issued further stay-at-home restrictions for people who arrive in the Territory from Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

A stay-at-home requirement for people arriving from South East Queensland, including from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Magnetic Island and Palm Island areas, will come into effect from 6:00 pm today (29 June) until 11:59 pm Friday (2 July).

Anyone who has spent time in these regions between 19 June and 6:00 pm today will need to complete an online declaration form on the ACT COVID-19 website.

People who arrived in the ACT from the Perth and Peel regions in WA from midday today will be subject to stay-at-home requirements until 11:59 pm, Friday as well.

Anyone who has spent time in these regions between 22 June and midday today will also need to complete an online declaration form.

The current stay-at-home orders for people who have been in the City of Darwin, City of Palmerston and Litchfield local government areas in the NT will be extended for a further 72 hours until 1:30 pm on Friday.

Anyone in the ACT who was in any of these areas between 18 June 2021 and 4:00 pm on 27 June must complete an online declaration form but will not be subject to the stay-at-home orders.

In addition to the new stay-at-home requirements, the ACT will also change the visitor policy at health facilities to one visitor per patient per day.

ACT Health said that children and young people aged 17 and under should continue to avoid visiting health facilities where possible.

An ACT Health spokesperson said the changes were precautionary “to keep our most vulnerable patients safe and to further protect staff and visitors”.

Staff and visitors must wear surgical masks at all health facilities and a new mask must be worn each day.

Masks will be handed out at all screening points on entry to the facility.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has repeatedly said the ACT would move rapidly and decisively if a case were to arise in the ACT, depending on the circumstances of the case.

Face masks are now mandatory for people over the age of 12 when out in the ACT community.

For more information on ACT restrictions, updated advice and online declarations, please visit www.covid19.act.gov.au.