13 Aug 2021
This is updated information from 11:30am today. If your unsure about your personal circumstances after reading please make contact with NSW Health or ACT Health for clarification.
Students and staff in border communities can continue to attend NSW schools at this time, except for the following reasons:
- They must remain at home if they are unwell, even with the mildest of symptoms. If they are unwell they must receive a negative COVID test and be symptom-free before returning to school.
- If they have been to a venue of concern they must comply with the self-isolation and testing requirements as directed by the relevant Health Department.
All students and staff that cannot attend school or work due to interstate border disruptions will be supported to learn and work from home.
There may be some disruption for students and staff crossing interstate borders if they have been to a ‘hotspot’ in NSW.
Students and staff from ACT
The ACT has entered into a seven-day lockdown from 5.00pm, Thursday 12 August 2021.
There are arrangements in place for NSW/ACT border residents. Staff who live in the NSW/ACT border in one of the approved postcodes are able to attend work for an approved essential reason under the lockdown restrictions, which includes school-based staff. NSW/ACT border residents are required to carry identification at all times to provide proof of residency.
Students in the border region can only attend school if they are children of essential workers, vulnerable or need to perform essential activities that must be undertaken under supervision (eg. Year 12 critical examinations).
If an ACT resident is required to travel outside of the border region, they will be required to quarantine and follow the advice available on the COVID-19 website.
Any staff and students who have visited a NSW COVID-19 affected area seeking to enter the ACT are required to compete the online exemption form within 72 hours prior to arriving in the ACT and are required to enter quarantine immediately for 14 days or until advised by ACT Health. Exemptions may be granted to ACT residents, further advice should be sought through ACT Government.
All students and staff that cannot attend NSW schools for work and education due to interstate border disruptions will be supported to learn and work from home.
Further information is available on the ACT website.
Students and staff who have visited ACT
If anyone in NSW has been to the ACT on or after 12.01am Thursday 5 August 2021, you must follow the stay at home rules for 14 days since you were last there and can only leave home with a reasonable excuse.
Staff and students who have visited the ACT since this time can continue to attend NSW schools for work and education as a reasonable excuse.
If you enter NSW on or after 5pm on Thursday 12 August 2021 and you have been in the ACT in the previous 14 days, you must complete the NSW entry declaration form within the 24 Hour period before you enter NSW or on entry. You are required to complete a declaration form once every 72 hours. For more information, please visit the NSW interstate travellers page.
Students and staff from Victoria
The border bubble remains in effect between NSW and Victoria.
Staff and students living and working in the border bubble can continue to attend NSW schools for work and education, with education being a permitted reason.
However from 6pm Friday 13 August 2021, staff and students who live in the cross border community aged 18 years and over must now obtain a Cross border community – Extreme Risk Permit to enter Victoria for permitted reasons.
Border community residents applying for a Cross border community – Extreme Risk Permit are reminded to check the application conditions and need to re-apply for a permit every 14 days.
Children and teenagers under 18 years of age are exempt from this requirement , but they can only travel across the border for permitted reasons.
The City of Wagga Wagga, Hay Shire Council, Lockhart Shire Council and Murrumbidgee Council are no longer included in the cross border bubble since 11.59pm 27 July 2021. Residents will need to apply for an exemption to enter Victoria.
All students and staff that cannot attend NSW schools for work and education due to interstate border disruptions will be supported to learn and work from home.
Students and staff who live in or around the NSW/Victoria border should seek further advice through the NSW Government and Victorian Government COVID-19 websites.
Students and staff from Queensland
Additional restrictions are now in place for some Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the NSW/QLD border zone.
Staff who are Queensland residents who work and/or have visited Walgett, Bourke, Brewarrina, Ballina, Byron, Lismore or Richmond Valley LGAs in the last 14 days or since the identified start dateExternal link (whichever is later) are unable to attend work in NSW schools. Teachers are not considered essential workers under the Queensland Border Restrictions Direction.
Students who are Queensland residents who attend school in Walgett, Bourke, Brewarrina, Ballina, Byron, Lismore or Richmond Valley LGAs can only attend school if they are the child of an essential worker or vulnerable.
Staff and students who are Queensland residents can continue to attend NSW schools in the Tweed and other border zone LGAs for work and education as a permitted purpose. These Queensland residents coming to NSW, including staff and students, will still need to complete the NSW declaration for entry form from Queensland every 72 hours. They will also need to complete a declaration form for NSW to re-enter Queensland from NSW. All staff and students will need to make sure they have all paperwork in order.
It is important to note that Queensland residents who enter Walgett, Bourke, Brewarrina, Ballina, Byron, Lismore or Richmond Valley LGAs for a non-essential service or go outside of the NSW border zone in NSW (or any other COVID-19 hotspot), will not be able to re-enter Queensland via road and will have to quarantine for 14 days in government arranged accommodation at your own expense when you come home by air.
All students and staff that cannot attend NSW schools for work and education due to interstate border disruptions will be supported to learn and work from home.
Students and staff who live in or around the NSW–Queensland border should seek further advice through the NSW interstate travellers and Queensland Government COVID-19 website.
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