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Canberrans free of quarantine after Sydney restrictions lifted

Wearing masks inside Canberra Airport and on the tarmac will be compulsory.

MORE than 80 per cent of Canberrans currently forced into 14-day quarantine have been given a clean bill of health to return back into the community.

The latest ACT Health public direction comes after restrictions on nine of the 10 Sydney covid-affected local government areas have been lifted from 3pm today (January 22).

Blacktown (city), Burwood, Bay (city), Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield, Inner West, Liverpool, Parramatta and Strathfield LGAs have been given the all clear after no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in recent days.

Cumberland will be the only remaining COVID-19 area listed as covid affected.

That ensures that 112 out of the 561 Canberrans in quarantine must remain in isolation.

But for the other 449 persons who arrived back in the ACT from the nine LGA hotspots are free to leave their home or hotel following a “vastly improved situation” everywhere in Sydney outside of the outer west.

ACT Health informed all in quarantine of the changes via email or text message on Wednesday.

Those arriving in Canberra from the Cumberland LGA can return to the ACT, but need to notify ACT Health via an online declaration and enter quarantine for 14 days.

ACT Health also updated areas that could be of “high-risk” in NSW, and advise anyone who has visited the Northern Beaches, Canterbury Bankstown, Cumberland and Blacktown to not visit or work in high-risk settings such as hospitals and aged care facilities for 14 days.

Meanwhile, Kambah drive-through testing site will be closed ahead of the expected heatwave over the next three days and will reopen on Tuesday (January 26).

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr also announced from the national cabinet meeting today that a new public direction has ordered face masks to be compulsory for all commercial domestic air travel.

The direction that includes passengers wearing masks inside terminals and embarking or disembarking a plane on the tarmac comes into affect at midnight on Saturday.

It will be the first time travellers have had to wear a mask at Canberra Airport after previously being only optional.

Exemptions are made for children under 12 years of age, passengers with a disability or a particular medical condition that makes wearing masks unsuitable.

They may be removed outside of the terminal, when consuming food or drink, for staff to ascertain a passenger’s identity, during an emergency or to “effectively communicate”.

 

 

 

 

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Andrew Mathieson

Andrew Mathieson

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