NSW's Stay-at-Home Orders Only Apply to Travellers Returning from Victoria Since February 13

With Victoria now on day one of a snap five-day lockdown in a bid to contain its latest COVID-19 outbreak, many states are introducing border closures and restrictions of their own. In NSW, a public health order has been issued that requires anyone arriving in NSW from Victoria after 11.59pm on Friday, February 12 to follow the same stay-at-home restrictions that are now in force down south.

That means that any returned travellers now need to follow Victoria's stage four rules until 11.59pm on Wednesday, February 17, which is when the southern state's snap lockdown is set to end. Those returned travellers can only leave their homes for those familiar four reasons: shopping for essentials; medical and other care and caregiving; exercise; and essential work.

The public health order was originally set to cover all returned travellers from Victoria since Friday, January 29, as NSW Health announced throughout the day on Friday, February 12. That plan was changed, however, with the government body's most recent update noting that "the date previously advised has been updated following advice from the NSW Chief Health Officer".

Travellers arriving from Victoria by road, air or rail must also complete a traveller self-declaration form before entry into NSW. For NSW residents living in border communities, the five-day stay-at-home requirement only applies to folks who've been to Greater Melbourne after 11.59pm on Friday, February 12 — and not to those who've travelled into regional Victoria.

The NSW Government is also strongly advising against all non-essential travel to Victoria at this time, saying "people who do choose to travel will be required to follow the stay-at-home requirement on their return".

For more information about COVID-19 restrictions in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. To learn more about the Victorian stay-at-home orders, head to the Victoria Department of Health website.