The temporary closure of the NSW-Victoria border, which was implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19 from Victoria and to protect the health and wellbeing of NSW residents, remains in force.

The recent update to the Public Health (COVID-19 Border Control) Amendment Order 2020, may impact students and staff living, working and studying in the NSW-Victoria border zone.

What has changed

Under the amended Public Health Order, any person who already has a valid day school visitor permit will continue to be able to use this permit for 14 days, until midnight on Friday 21 August. This permit will expire after Friday 21 August. All students will be able to cross the border until the 21 August with their current permit. Any student or staff member in the Border Zone will be able to continue crossing the border to attend school or work as long as they stay within the Border Zone.

Amendments to the Public Health Order include:

• The border zone will be defined to townships along the Murray River including Mildura, Wodonga and Echuca.
• Staff and students residing within the Victorian border zone and travelling to attend a school within the NSW border zone will be able to so with a Resident Border Permit.
• Victorian residents living outside the border zone will not be able to cross the border to attend school without an exemption.
• HSC students and HSC teachers who reside outside the border zone will be considered for an exemption. Further information regarding the exemption process will be provided next week.
• Students attending a School for Specific Purposes will be eligible for a special permit through the NSW Government website.
• All other students and staff who are unable to attend school due to the border restrictions will be supported to learn and work from home.
• Any student or staff member who has been in a Victorian hotspot (currently being Greater Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire) in the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter NSW.
• Everyone returning from Victoria will need to enter NSW through Sydney Airport. They must also self-isolate for 14 days. Students will be exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine. They will be required to complete a 14 day self-isolation period in their usual residence in NSW. Read more on the Advice for families page.

Principals will work closely with families to provide appropriate learning support for students being supported through remote learning.

While the border restrictions remain in place, NSW students and staff are discouraged from travelling to Victoria.

For more information, visit the NSW Government’s NSW-Victoria border restrictions website.