The Victorian Government has announced the lockdown in the City of Ballarat and Point Lonsdale areas will lift from 11:59pm 22 September and move to the regional Victorian restrictions listed in the Victorian Government Summary of Restrictions, including the six reasons for leaving home. 

Workers in these areas will no longer need an authorised worker permit and workplaces can re-open with capacity limits. Providers must check ID of visitors to facilities, to ensure they do not reside in those locations in lockdown.   

Residential disability services, community and non-residential services are permitted to operate in line with regional services directions noted in the DFFH fact sheets dated 12 September.   

Regional areas in lockdown 

The City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and the Mitchell Shire LGAs remain under the same lockdown restrictions as metropolitan Melbourne. 

Travel from regional Victoria into metropolitan Melbourne and the three regional LGAs, with the exception of Point Lonsdale, is only allowed for permitted reasons. Visitors must follow metropolitan Melbourne restrictions. 

People in regional Victoria with vaccination bookings in metropolitan Melbourne or the three LGAs can only attend if they live adjacent to the LGA. 

Cross border restrictions eased 

Disability workers living in NSW border communities designated Red Zones no longer need a travel permit to cross the border to attend work. 

All NSW LGAs in the cross-border community (except the City of Albury) changed from Extreme Risk Zones to Red Zones on 19 September. 

Workers who live in or have visited a current Extreme Risk Red Zone in the past 14 days will still need a travel permit and must carry an authorised worker permit to cross the border. 

Useful links

• Victorian Government disability services sector – COVID-19
• NDS Responding to an Outbreak
• NDS Victorian COVID-19 response webpage
• Covid-19 vaccine clinic finder