NSW coronavirus outbreak: ACT Health is weighing up NSW travel ban

Canberrans yesterday were "strongly advised" to avoid travel to Sydney, that was prior to NSW Health restricting the movement of residents of seven local government areas.

ACT Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith was expected to make a decision on a travel ban to Sydney following the announcement from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Residents of seven Sydney COVID-19 hotspot areas will not be allowed to travel beyond metro Sydney from 4pm Tuesday, after another 23 cases recorded of coronavirus were recorded in the past 24 hours.

Residents in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Shellharbour regions will be banned from having more than five visitors to a household.

From 1am Thursday, Queensland will close its border to people from the City of Sydney and the Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West, and Randwick local government areas. Waverley was already on the list.

Ms Berejiklian said a NSW lockdown would not be ruled out.

"We have always said we have considered all the options, but we have always said we will not burden our citizens unless we absolutely have to do," Ms Berejiklian said.

"We know basically where the super-spreading events have been, we know where the virus is circulating, and we don't want to take any further action than what we have now."

ACT Health confirmed as of midday on Tuesday advice to ACT residents remained the same: check the exposure sites listed on the NSW Health and ACT COVID-19 websites.

"If you have been to an exposure location at the dates and times specified, you must follow the relevant health directions," a spokeswoman said.

"Please complete an online self-declaration form, this is the easiest way ACT Health can contact you with updated advice if we need to do so."

ACT government reverted the Weston Creek Walk-in Centre back to a dedicated COVID-19 testing facility from Tuesday to deal with the increased demand for testing.

More to come.

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