Victoria has ramped up its border restrictions on the opening day of the school holidays.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As Sydney and Darwin experience coronavirus outbreaks, the Victorian government has labelled these cities as 'red zones'.
The majority of NSW, Perth and Brisbane have been labelled as 'orange zones'.
Local government areas have been excluded from the new restrictions and remain in the 'green zone'.
Explore the restrictions map here.
Victorian residents coming back to the state from the red will need to quarantine for 14 days and get tested.
Orange zone travellers must get tested within 72 hours of arriving in Victoria and must quarantine until getting a result.
Health minister Martin Foley urged Victorians to remain vigilant despite no local cases having been detected in the state since Friday.
IN OTHER NEWS
"This is the first time Victoria has had orange and red zones in most Australian states," Mr Foley said.
Those living in Victoria and NSW border communities will continue to be able to access the 'border bubble' by using their driver licence to prove their residential address.
Border residents do not need to apply for a travel permit.
Victoria Police has released the following statement:
"From today, our Airwing helicopters will be performing daily patrols of the Hume Highway to identify any suspect vehicles that need to be intercepted, while our fixed wing aircraft will also be patrolling the length of the border from mid-week.
"Police will have the ultimate vantage point from the air to identify any interstate number plates and suspicious driver behaviour around checkpoints.
"On Friday, it was announced that 260 additional police officers would be dedicated to roving border patrols, pop up checkpoints, spot checks and intercepts to identify vehicles who may have travelled from NSW, including those who may have been in a red zone.
"This is in addition to hundreds of officers who are already enforcing the Chief Health Officer's directions across the state.
"The message is clear - anyone who deliberately, blatantly or obviously breaches Chief Health Officer directions can expect to receive an on-the-spot fine of $4957 and will be turned away at the border.
"All our activities will have an intelligence led focus as we continue to assess and reassess our logistical and personnel requirements.
"Victoria Police has a significant role to play in keeping Victorians safe from this very contagious virus and our response highlights the hard work by our officers to protect the health and safety of every Victorian."
Our team of local journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the Ballarat community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark thecourier.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news, sport and daily headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News