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COVID-19 Update: Watch and wait issued for Northern NSW

Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet

The Chief Health Officer is continuing to closely monitor the situation in Queensland and New South Wales (NSW), and has officially issued a watch and wait over Northern NSW, inclusive of Tweed, Lismore and Ballina.

This is off the back of Queensland authorities continuing to investigate links between two new cases reported today and existing cases reported over the past six days. 

The below New South Wales Local Government Area remains a declared COVID-19 Hotspot for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory from 4.30pm Tuesday 30 March 2021:

  • Byron Shire Council

The below Queensland Local Government Areas remain declared COVID-19 Hotspots for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory from 4.30pm Monday 29 March 2021:

  • City of Brisbane
  • Moreton Bay Region
  • City of Ipswich
  • Logan City
  • Redland City
  • Toowoomba Region

This does not include those who have just transited through Brisbane Airport.

Anyone entering the Northern Territory from a declared hotspot must undertake 14 days of mandatory, supervised quarantine at the Alice Springs or Howard Springs quarantine facilities at a cost of $2,500 per person. Quarantine will be undertaken at the first urban centre you arrive at.

Existing and current CHO testing directions remain for the places and dates listed below and up until a hotspot declaration was made:

  • Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from the Toowoomba Region from 26 March 2021;
  • Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from the City of Ipswich, Logan City and Redland City from 25 March 2021;
  • Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from City of Brisbane and Moreton Bay region LGA’s from 20 March 2021;
  • Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from the City of Brisbane and Moreton Bay Region LGA's between 12 March and 11.59pm on 19 March who are showing any symptoms of COVID-19;
  • Those who have arrived, and continue to arrive in the Northern Territory from the Gladstone Region Local Government Area from 25 March 2021.

Please contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 008 002 to book a test. For all other enquiries phone 1800 490 484.

If you are intending to travel to the Northern Territory from South-East Queensland or Northern New South Wales you are advised to rethink your plans. If you are a Territorian intending to travel to South-East Queensland or Northern New South Wales you are advised to rethink your plans.

The Chief Health Officer will continue to review and assess the COVID-19 situation in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales and will take into account COVID-19 monitoring and data collection, the extent of community transmission and risks to the NT community.

The risk of COVID-19 in our communities cannot be eliminated which is why it is important for everyone to follow all health directions.

  • If you have COVID-19 symptoms, do not travel. Make sure you get tested and stay at home.
  • Maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres at all times.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water and use hand sanitiser regularly.
  • Do not go to work if you feel sick.
  • If you have symptoms, stay away from others and get tested for COVID-19.
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