Chief Minister Andrew Barr has refused to criticise the Victorian government for its handling of border restrictions, amid ongoing uncertainty about quarantine rules from people who travelled from Canberra on New Year's Day.
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Travellers from Canberra have been caught up in the chaos sparked by Victoria's hard border closure to NSW, with mixed messaging and a lack of clear advice on government websites causing confusion about which rules applied to them.
Despite repeated requests from The Canberra Times, Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services has still yet to confirm whether people who travelled from Canberra to Victoria on New Year's Day are required to self-isolate for 14 days.
People who made the trip on January 1 have received conflicting advice from Victorian authorities, meaning some are still in isolation while others are roaming free.
A transit permit system for people travelling from the ACT or Queensland went live on January 2, which exempts people from home quarantine.
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The ACT government has said Victoria has twice confirmed to it that New Year's Day travellers are not required to self-isolate for 14 days. But that assurance has never been confirmed publicly by Victorian authorities.
Asked on Tuesday if he had any updates on the situation, Mr Barr said the ACT government continued to work with Victoria "on that question".
But Mr Barr refused to criticise the Andrews government over its border closure, saying it was understandable Victoria was being "super cautious" about the virus' potential re-entry into the state in the aftermath of its deadly second wave.
"If you were the Victorian authorities .... having experienced what Victoria experienced in 2020 you would understand why they are super cautious and why the appetite in their community for people from other parts of Australia brining the virus back into Victoria at this time is zero," Mr Barr said.
"It was a tough 2020 for Victorians, so I understand why they have taken the approach they have."
Mr Barr said the ACT government would continue attempts to clear up the confusion, but stressed the "rules for Victoria are set by Victoria and we have to respect that".
He stressed that people who embarked on cross border travel needed to be aware that rules could change at short notice.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
