SPECIFIC exposure sites in Melbourne to COVID-19 cases have been declared a hotspot under a ACT Health public direction.

The Victorian government has listed individuals, rather than a cluster of suburbs, that have come into contact with traces of the virus to immediately isolate after a hotel quarantine worker earlier this week tested positive to covid.

The new public direction for visitors to Canberra came into effect from 2pm on Thursday (February 4).

Individuals are required to enter 14-day quarantine, but also to be tested and to contact ACT Health.

The direction targets individuals, who were at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and a number of public exposure sites, and have since been contacted by the Victorian government and told they are a “close contact”.

A spokesperson for minister for health said individuals already in the ACT, who are close to a person known to have been infected must enter isolation immediately for 14 days.

“Making it a public health direction makes it enforceable on our end, if anyone was to be, maybe, breaking the law, obviously,” the spokesperson said.

“As part of that direction, we are also saying if you’re a non-ACT resident and you’ve been in these exposure sites, you’re not permitted into the ACT.”

Individuals that required to travel to ACT could apply for an exemption but “under very strict circumstances”.

ACT Health is monitoring the situation in Victoria closely and advises Canberra residents considering of travelling to Melbourne to stay up to date with the latest travel advice, but be prepared to cancel or amend travel plans at short notice.