Sydneysiders escorted to border, 50 hotel guests ordered to leave ACT following lockdown orders

ACT Policing will be conducting spot checks on vehicles coming into the ACT to make sure they are complying with the current restrictions. Photo: Dominic Giannini

A group of six were escorted to the border by police last night and 50 more guests at a Braddon hotel were ordered to return to Sydney by ACT Policing after the ACT’s new stay at home requirements and border restrictions came into effect at 6:00 pm yesterday.

Police escorted the group of four adults and two children to the border upon finding they did not have an exemption.

ACT Policing was later notified that 50 other guests who usually resided in the Greater Sydney region were staying at the hotel. They were informed by police that they would be required to leave the Territory on Sunday morning (27 June).

More than 2730 people are subject to the stay at home order.

People in the ACT who visited the Greater Sydney region – which includes the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong areas – on or after 21 June are subject to the order that will last until at least midnight 9 July or until 14 days have passed since they were last in the area.

Non-ACT residents who have been to the Greater Sydney region in the last 14 days cannot enter the Territory while returning residents will need to stay at home.

People found in breach of the restrictions can face fines of up to $8000.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said it is a period of heightened anxiety and concern. Photo: Dominic Giannini.

ACT Policing will be conducting spot checks at the border and Access Canberra will be working with businesses across the ACT to ensure compliance with the current check-in requirements.

NSW Police will also be conducting checks in the Greater Sydney region to stop people subject to the lockdown from leaving.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the fact more than 19,000 people had filled in the ACT’s online declaration form expressing that they had been to the Greater Sydney region recently highlights the extent – and risk – of travel between the two jurisdictions.

There are currently 22 close contacts in isolation and almost 210 casual contacts who are isolating while waiting for test results after visiting an exposure location in NSW.

For the most recent information on the ACT’s COVID-19 restrictions, visit the ACT COVID-19 site.