New Zealand returnees in ACT must get tested, self-isolate

People in the ACT who have been to New Zealand recently must get tested for COVID-19. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos

ACT Health has announced anyone in Canberra who has been in New Zealand on or since January 14 must self isolate until they receive a negative test result.

This follows the detection of the South African variant of the virus in New Zealand on Sunday.

Acting ACT chief health officer Dr Vanessa Johnston said ACT Health were in the process of contacting ACT residents who recently arrived from New Zealand.

"If you are one of these returned ACT residents from New Zealand, please don't wait to be contacted, go and get tested," she said.

"We know there may also be other people who are only visiting the ACT who have recently been to New Zealand.

"While other jurisdictions are working to identify and contact these people, again, don't wait to be contacted, if you are in the ACT, go and get tested."

Any travellers arriving in Australia from New Zealand in the next 72 hours will go into mandatory hotel quarantine.

Following advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee the federal government suspended the quarantine-free travel bubble with New Zealand.

The suspension began at 2pm on Monday and is expected to last for at least 72 hours.

New Zealand authorities are investigating the case.

Dr Johnston said the New Zealand case was not a cause for the community to panic.

"This is a precautionary measure to help Australia collect more information from our New Zealand counterparts about the case," she said.

"While the likelihood of transmission to the ACT is very low in this instance, it is a timely reminder that COVID-19 has not gone away and the situation can change quickly."