Residents along the Victoria-NSW border will have to justify their movements to authorities under a coronavirus-induced border bubble crackdown.
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Victoria has banned non-essential movement across state lines because of the hovering threat of Sydney's COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak.
From 11.59pm on Tuesday, border-bubble residents will only be able to state-hop for six reasons including medical care, compassionate purposes, work, education, playing sport or getting vaccinated.
The new measure applies to residents on both sides of the NSW-Victorian border, who must also not travel any further than necessary for that specific purpose.
"If you're from Albury, please don't shop in Wangaratta, Werribee or Warrnambool if the essential reason for your travel can be attended to in Wodonga," Health Minister Martin Foley told reporters.
NSW cross-border residents have previously been able to travel into Victoria including Melbourne for any reason.
Mr Foley confirmed there were no coronavirus cases in any NSW local government areas in the border bubble, but insisted the change was necessary.
Mildura mayor Jason Modica said his council had lobbied the NSW, Victorian and Australian governments on letting border towns such as his have more freedoms, but understood how quickly the situation changes.
"If we don't have a case all the way up here in northern Victoria and far-Western NSW, we would like different treatment. But we always had that understanding that if there was a case or it looked like cases were coming then we would adhere to the greater rules of the state," he told AAP.
Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien described the change as sensible after the NSW outbreak sparked Victoria's most recent 12-day shutdown.
"We just cannot afford another lockdown in this state," he said.
Anyone caught crossing the border for a non-essential reason could face a $5452 fine.
Victoria recorded two new local cases of COVID-19 on Monday, both linked to the state's current outbreaks and in isolation for their entire infectious period.
There are 134 active cases in Victoria, with eight in hospital including three in intensive care.
Residents of a Richmond apartment block are among the fewer than 4000 close contacts left in isolation across the state. All have returned an initial negative test but will continue to quarantine.
Meanwhile, people who arrived from locked-down southeast Queensland before it became a red zone on Saturday night will be phoned on Monday if they are yet to have their mandatory test within 72 hours.
They have also been asked to get a day seven test as an extra precaution.
Almost 7000 applications to travel from red or extreme risk zones in Queensland and NSW are still pending. Health department deputy secretary Kate Matson warned most would be rejected.
Australian Associated Press
