NEW ZEALAND: Auckland's restrictions to ease slightly

Coronavirus restrictions in New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, will be eased slightly from Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference. The city, which is at the centre of the latest Delta variant outbreak, will move to alert level 3 from alert level 4 starting at midnight on Tuesday, Ms Ardern said. Schools and offices will still remain closed at level 3 but businesses can operate contactless services. The rest of the country will remain at alert level 2, she said.
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AUSTRALIA: Cowra placed into lockdown

Cowra is NSW will be placed into lockdown from 5:00pm on Monday, 20 September 2021. Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said anyone who was in Cowra from Monday, 13 September 2021, "regardless of where they are, must adhere to the stay-at-home requirements."
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AUSTRALIA: Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire placed into lockdown

Victoria Health Minister Martin Foley has announced immediate action to combat outbreaks in regional Victoria, with Greater Geelong, the Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire to enter a seven day lockdown from 11:59pm on Sunday, 19 September 2021. The rules will be the same as those in Melbourne and Ballarat, minus the curfew.
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AUSTRALIA: Changes to NSW-Victoria border

Victoria Chief Health Office Brett Sutton has outlined changes coming to the NSW-Victoria border from 11:59pm on Sunday, 19 September 2021. The 66 LGAs plus Jarvis Bay that are not locked down currently in NSW, will be downgraded from extreme risk to Red Zone, meaning that Victorian residents have an entitlement to apply for a Red Zone permit and will be able to return to Victoria. They will be required to quarantine at home and undergo regular testing for 14 days and travellers cannot have been in one of the remaining extreme risk zones in the previous 14 days. For all but one cross-border LGA (Albury, which is in lockdown) there will be a downgrading from extreme risk zone to a red zone, meaning cross border travel will be allowed.
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AUSTRALIA: NSW to trial home quarantine in Greater Sydney

The NSW Government and the Commonwealth have announced plans to begin a trial of home quarantine in Greater Sydney that will start within weeks. The pilot, to be operated and monitored by NSW Health and NSW Police, will trial a seven day home quarantine program for around 175 people. Currently, people coming to NSW from overseas must quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. Participants in the pilot must have had both doses of a TGA-accredited COVID-19 vaccine. The participants will be selected by NSW Health, based on a risk assessment framework, and may include some NSW residents, some non-Australian residents and some Qantas air crew. The isolation period will be reduced from 14 to seven days. The pilot program is being run in partnership with the Commonwealth Government.
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AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND: Trans-Tasman bubble pause extended

New Zealand authorities have extended the pause on quarantine-free travel within the Trans-Tasman bubble for another eight weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said the temporary pause, which was set to expire next Friday, will be reviewed in mid to late November.
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AUSTRALIA: NSW Hilltops region placed into lockdown

The Hilltops local government area will enter a week-long lockdown from 6:00pm on Friday, 17 September 2021, NSW Health has confirmed. The stay-at-home orders apply to anyone in the areas, or anyone who has been in the Hilltops LGA including Young and surrounding areas since September 3, and the Glen Innes LGA since September 13.
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AUSTRALIA: Seven-day lockdown for Lismore and Albury

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has announced that Lismore and Albury are going into a seven-day lockdown from 6:00pm on Thursday, 16 October 2021.
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AUSTRALIA: 12 NSW regions to come out of lockdown

Key Event: Twelve regional LGAs will join a growing sector of country NSW enjoying freedom, after lockdown was lifted across much of the state’s south and west. NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced lockdown would be lifted in the Bega Valley, Blayney, Bogan, Cabonne, Dungog, Forbes, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Parkes, Singleton, Snowy Monaro and the Upper Hunter.
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AUSTRALIA: Lismore removed from QLD border bubble

Border restrictions into Queensland will be reinstated for the City of Lismore. Queensland will re-introduce restrictions to people who were in the City of Lismore from 6:00pm on Thursday, 16 September 2021. Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said this means anyone who has been in the local government area in the last 14 days may not enter Queensland.
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AUSTRALIA: NSW Premier lifts curfew in LGAs of concern

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced curfew imposed on 12 Sydney LGAs will be lifted from tonight (Wednesday, 15 October 2021). The curfew had been in place to stop people leaving their homes for non-essential reasons between 9pm and 5am.
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AUSTRALIA: Ballarat enters lockdown, Shepparton exits lockdown

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews has announced that from 11:59pm on Wednesday, 15 September 2021, Ballarat will go into a one-week lockdown. At the same day/time, the current lockdown in Shepparton will be lifted.
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NEW ZEALAND: Level 4 extension for Auckland Region

Yesterday Jacinda Ardern announced a further extension to Auckland's Level 4 lockdown, with the region now scheduled to drop to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm on Tuesday the 21st of September.
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AUSTRALIA: ACT lockdown extended by four weeks

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has announced that the lockdown in the ACT has been extended by four weeks. The lockdown is now scheduled to end at 11:59pm on Friday, 15 October 2021.
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AUSTRALIA: Yass Valley placed back into lockdown

The Yass Valley Council area in regional New South Wales has been placed back into lockdown for two weeks after the discovery of a COVID-19 case. NSW Health announced on Monday afternoon stay-at-home orders will come into effect from 12:01am on Tuesday, 14 September 2021. The new rules apply to residents as well as anyone who has been in the area on or after 9 September. Everyone must wear a face mask in all indoor or outdoor areas other than a place of residence.
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AUSTRALIA: Ease of restrictions for QLD-NSW border

The QLD Government has reinstated the border bubble with NSW. From 1:00am on Monday, 13 September 2021, students and essential workers will be able to travel from the 12 NSW LGAs, where restrictions have eased, into QLD. Tweed, Ballina, Byron, Moree Plains, Gwydir, Clarence Valley, Inverell, Glen Innes, Severn Shire, Tenterfield, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and Lismore are the 12 LGAs.
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AUSTRALIA: Parts of regional NSW to come out of lockdown

Parts of regional NSW currently deemed low risk and which have seen zero COVID cases for at least 14 days will emerge from lockdown at 12:01am on Saturday, 11 September 2021. Lockdown remains in place in the following LGAs: Bathurst, Bega, Blayney, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Cabonne, Central Coast, Central Darling, Cessnock, Dubbo, Dungog, Eurobodalla, Forbes, Gilgandra, Goulburn, Mulwarre, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Lithgow, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Mid-Western, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Narromine, Newcastle, Orange, Parkes, Port Stephens, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Upper Hunter, Walgett, Wingecarribee.
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AUSTRALIA: Lockdown to end in regional Victoria

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed regional Victoria will be released from lockdown from 11.59pm on Thursday, 09 September 2021, but some restrictions will remain. Regional Victorians will be allowed to leave their homes for any reason, and there will be no distance limits. The authorised worker permits will no longer apply but offices will only be permitted 25 per cent of staff onsite, with a maximum of 10 workers. Schools will reopen for grades prep to year two and year 12 students. All other grades will continue with remote learning. Up to 20 guests will be allowed at funerals and 10 at weddings plus those officiating the service. The Greater Shepparton region will be excluded.
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AUSTRALIA: WA reclassifies Victoria as a high risk area

Western Australia is reclassifying Victoria as a high risk COVID-19 state due to the ongoing outbreak there. WA Health Minister Roger Cook said it would take effect from 12:01am on Monday, 06 September 2021. It means anyone entering WA from Victoria or who has travelled through Victoria in the previous 14 days will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test in the 72 hours prior to departure and proof they have had at least one dose of a vaccine.
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AUSTRALIA: Restrictions to remain in Victoria, Melbourne lockdown continues

The majority of Victoria's restrictions will stay in place until 70 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced. The Premier said the state could no longer "hold out hope" that case numbers would fall and must instead focus on suppressing the outbreak's growth while racing to reach higher vaccination coverage. "We will not see these case numbers go down," he said. "They are going to go up. The question is, by how many and how fast." Mr Andrews confirmed the shift in approach meant Melburnians would remain under some form of lockdown for weeks.
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