NSW records 249 new virus cases as border opens to Victoria

NSW has recorded 249 new cases of Covid just hours after the border reopened to Victoria, with free travel back on between the two states.

Another 249 new Covid infections and three deaths have been recorded in NSW overnight.

The figure is down from Thursday when 308 cases were recorded, which was a spike on previous days.

The news comes just hours after the border between NSW and Victoria reopened at midnight.

Victorians and NSW residents were able to move freely between the two states from 11.59pm on Thursday, the states’ premiers announced.

Dominic Perrottet and Daniel Andrews issued a joint statement on Thursday evening saying the decision was part of normalising living with Covid-19.

NSW #COVID19 update – Friday 5 November 2021

In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night:

- 93.8% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 89.1% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 80,581 tests
- 249 new locally acquired cases pic.twitter.com/HhV5620CsK

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) November 4, 2021

Victoria’s acting chief health officer Ben Cowie declared the ACT and all remaining “orange zone” areas in NSW would become “green zones” under his state’s travel permit system.

This means, for the first time in more than six months, every local government area in Australia will be considered a green zone for the purposes of entering Victoria.

Travellers and workers who arrive from a green zone face no testing or quarantine requirements, but are still required to obtain an entry permit from Service Victoria.

There are no requirements for fully vaccinated Victorians entering NSW, unless they have been to an exposure site the NSW government considers a “place of high concern”.