Overview
Among the many challenges that Australians have faced over the past year, our love of travel has been hit hard. Domestic border restrictions keep changing with frequency in response to new cases and clusters in different states, meaning that planning a holiday beyond your own city has been more than a little tricky. This was particularly true over Christmas and NYE, when an outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches saw many states quickly shut their borders to NSW — including Victoria.
On January 1, 2021, Victoria closed its borders to all of NSW. Since then, it has reopened to regional NSW and all but ten Greater Sydney LGAs. From 6pm tonight, Friday, January 22, it's reopening to a further nine Greater Sydney LGAs — which means, only Cumberland will remain a 'red zone'.
As part of Victoria's traffic light-style system, travellers from an 'orange zone' — which, from tonight, will include all of Greater Sydney (but Cumberland), Wollongong and the Blue Mountains — can enter Victoria, but they'll need to isolate on arrival and get tested within 72 hours, then when they receive a negative result they're free to leave isolation.
They also have to apply for a permit before entry, too — like all Australians. Last week, Victoria introduced compulsory permits for anyone who wants to enter the state. If you try and enter Victoria without a valid permit, you risk being fined $4957. You can apply for one over here.
Travellers who have been in the Cumberland LGA in the past 14 days, which is still a 'red zone', cannot enter Victoria. Folks who've been in a 'red zone' can apply to receive an exemption or a specified worker permit. The former covers instances such as emergency relocations, funerals, essential medical care, and people needing to return home for health, wellbeing, care or compassionate reasons.
From 6pm tonight, the rest of regional NSW (apart from the aforementioned orange zones) and Greater Brisbane will also be redesignated as 'green zones'. Travellers entering Victoria from a 'green zone' still need to apply for a permit, but do not need to get tested or isolate on arrival, unless they develop symptoms.
The loosened border restrictions come as Victoria records its 16th consecutive day of zero new cases of community transmission. Overnight, the state did record one new cases in hotel quarantine.
As result of this long run of doughnut days, Premier Daniel Andrews has also announced that from 11.59pm tonight, Friday, January 22, Victoria will revert back to pre-NYE gathering restrictions, which means you are allowed up to 30 visitors at your home, double the current limit of 15.
For more information on Victoria's new permit system — or to apply for one — head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.