Australian territories impose travel ban on Sydney as COVID-19 cluster grows

All Australian states and territories imposed travel restrictions on Sydney starting Sunday as a new COVID-19 cluster in the city sparks fears of more transmission. So far, at least 70 people have been affected by the cluster.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) sent out a strict message to Sydney, reading as explicitly as this - “Do not come to us”, Reuters reported.

Sydney is Australia’s most populous city with more than five million people. And all Australian territories have warned its people that they would face a 14 day long quarantine if they decided to travel.

"If you are not an ACT resident and have been in greater Sydney...our message is simple: do not travel to the ACT," the city’s health department said.

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Starting Monday, residents of Sydney will not be able to visit Victoria, Queensland, and Northern Territory.

To ensure there is no spillover of COVID-19 cases, Queensland police intend to reintroduce road check points at the New South Wales (NSW) border.

On Sunday, the state of South Australia also imposed a 14-day quarantine period on people coming in from Sydney, while banning travellers from affected suburbs.

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Tasmania took similar steps on Saturday, and the state of Western Australia has closed its borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Other people coming in from New South Wales, where Sydney is situated, will have to prove that they are not coming from the affected regions in Sydney in order to cross state borders.

A quarter million people have been forced into a lockdown until Christmas Eve to control the outbreak.