New South Wales COVID-19 hotspots expanded

The Queensland border will be closed to a further three Local Government Areas in New South Wales following a spread of COVID-19.

From 1:00am Thursday, 22 July the LGAs of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne will be declared COVID hotspots, joining Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour, however, the border remains open to other parts of NSW as they are not in lockdown.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said Queensland was acting cautiously to protect the community from the increased risk of COVID-19.

“The risk in New South Wales is continuing to escalate with more locally acquired cases detected throughout the state,” Dr Young said.

“New South Wales has imposed a lockdown and similarly to what we have done in the past, we’ll be restricting access to Queensland for people who have been in the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council and Cabonne Shire Council areas.

“It is imperative that if you have been to these LGAs, you follow the lockdown rules and don’t travel to Queensland.

“We are continuing to assess the situation in New South Wales.

“Please reconsider any travel to NSW – you should only be going if absolutely essential. If you’re there already, think about coming home.”

Queensland residents, and anyone who is allowed to enter Queensland from nominated hotspots, will be required to go into 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine.

For those entering Queensland from Orange, Blayney and Cabonne before 1:00am Thursday are asked to immediately get tested and quarantine at home if they have been to any of the exposure venues nominated by the NSW Health Department until receiving a negative result. Plus, for the next 14 days they must check the QLD Health website for any new venues that might be announced.

The entire states of Victoria and South Australia are also currently declared hotspots by Queensland while they are in lockdown.