Melbourne locked out of NT from, joining Sydney and Brisbane: See the full list of Melbourne LGAs locked out of NT
Residents along Australia’s east coast, including our three largest cities, are confined to their homes after Victoria entered a snap lockdown. SEE THE FULL LIST of Melbourne LGAs locked out of NT here
Northern Territory
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UPDATED: GREATER Melbourne has been shut out of the NT overnight, after a growing cluster of Covid-19 cases was detected in the Victorian capital.
The NT chief health officer Dr Hugh Heggie issued a direction that all arrivals from Melbourne will need to quarantine at either the Todd Facility in Alice Springs or the Howard Springs quarantine facility from 7.30pm Thursday.
Regional Victorians will still be allowed to travel to the NT freely.
The NT government has released the full list of local government areas declared as hotspots:
Banyule City
Bayside City
Boroondara City
Brimbank City
Cardinia Shire
Casey City
Darebin City
Frankston City
Glen Eira City
Greater Dandenong City
Hobsons Bay City
Hume City
Kingston City
Knox City
Manningham City
Maribyrnong City
Maroondah City
Melbourne City
Melton City
Monash City
Moonee Valley City
Moreland City
Mornington Peninsula Shire
Nillumbik Shire
Port Phillip City
Stonnington City
Whitehorse City
Whittlesea City
Wyndham City
Yarra City
Yarra Ranges Shire
EARLIER: GREATER Melbourne was declared a hotspot by the Northern Territory’s chief health officer Dr Hugh Heggie at 7.30pm ACST Thursday.
The timing coincides with the entire of Victoria being thrown into a snap seven-day lockdown from 8pm AEST, the sixth time authorities have shut the state since the pandemic began.
But regional Victorians will still be allowed into the NT for now, with the NT News understanding the risk outside of Melbourne being assessed as low.
MORE NEWS
The latest change to border restrictions means Australia’s three largest cities are now locked out of the Territory simultaneously.
Sydney continues to have the biggest outbreak reported another 262 locally acquired cases of the Delta strain and five deaths on Thursday.
All of NSW is barred from entering the Territory.
Queensland reported 16 new local cases on Thursday, with 11 local government areas in the southeast declared hotspots by NT Health.
Victorian health officials also on Thursday reported seven Covid-19 cases.
Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce said the latest news was a blow to operators who were heavily targeting Melbourne amid lockdowns in Sydney and Brisbane.
“Cancellations are now piling in,” Mr Bruce said.
“The problem is that Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are now all locked out.”
“People that are already here are all good to stay here, unless they’ve been to an exposure site.”
Mr Bruce described this year’s dry season as having entered a “nosedive”.
“It’s just a rollercoaster of bookings and cancellations.”
“We are hearing more of those Australian customers ... the mental fatigue is kicking in and they just want to cancel.”
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