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Victorians stranded in regional NSW will be able to return home from 6pm tonight following the release of a new permit system for domestic travellers.
Premier Daniel Andrews unveiled the new colour-coded permit system this afternoon. It aims to provide more clarity for domestic travellers.
The traffic-light bases system will see regions of Australia designated as green, orange or red depending on the coronavirus risk in each area.
Greater Brisbane and Greater Sydney are currently red areas while regional NSW will be designated orange from 6pm this evening (January 11).
"People wanting to travel home will be able to do so," Mr Andrews said. "Greater Sydney remains red.
"As for Brisbane, while restrictions imposed (on residents) come off at 6pm, our public health team is not 100 per cent confident in having people in Brisbane returning to Victoria. We will monitor that each day.
"It's important people do nothing to jeopardise what we have done here. We know how quick the virus moves, particularly this new UK strain."
The new system requires people to apply for a permit to enter Victoria from anywhere in Australia except border communities in NSW where locals must carry proof of their home address.
People who have visited a red zone this area in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Victoria without exception or exemption. Anyone attempting to do so will be turned away.
An orange zone means travellers must get coronavirus test within 72 hours of arriving in Victoria. they must also isolate before and after their test until you receive a negative result.
Green zones mean people can apply for a permit and enter Victoria. Once in Victoria, people must watch for symptoms and get tested if feeling unwell.
Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said regional NSW has improve with no cases in regional areas and one low positive detection of the cirus in waste water at Ulla Dulla.
10.30am
Greater Brisbane's coronavirus lockdown will end on Monday night, but face masks will remain mandatory for 10 more days, Australian Associated Press reports.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says residents of the council areas of Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Redlands will be able to leave their homes for any reason from 6pm Monday.
The three-day lockdown in the region seems to have suppressed the highly contagious UK strain of COVID-19.
OTHER NEWS
"Can I thank people in the greater Brisbane region for responding in the way that they did? It has been absolutely truly remarkable," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Monday.
"So, I can announce that the reward for their sacrifice is that we are able to end our lockdown."
Queensland had been on high alert after a cleaner at one of Brisbane's quarantine hotels was initially diagnosed with the UK virus strain.
The highly contagious variant has potentially been active in the community since January 2 but no further locally acquired cases have been detected, so far.
People living in the greater Brisbane region will need to continue carrying and wearing facemasks over the next 10 days, the premier said.
People have to wear masks in supermarkets, shops, indoor markets, hospitals and aged care facilities, places of worship, libraries, indoor recreational facilities, such as cinemas and art galleries, and gyms.
However, people working in places where they can socially-distance do not have to wear masks.
"You'll have to carry a face mask with you at all times. This is not dissimilar to what has happened in other jurisdiction," she added.
Earlier
VICTORIA is entering its fifth day without new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19.
The state recorded a new internationally-acquired case of the virus on Monday.
It brings the number of known active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria to 40.
More news:
A total of 18,660 Victorians received test results in the 24-hours to midnight.
Bendigo Health is bracing for an increase in testing today, having moved its drive-through clinic to the Prince of Wales Showgrounds to accommodate for demand from travellers who have returned from NSW.
But travellers say they are confused about whether they are expected to present for testing on the 11th day of their return from NSW.
Queenslanders affected by a three-day lockdown, declared on Friday in parts of the state, are expected to find out today whether those conditions will continue.
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