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ABC News
ABC News
Health

Victoria closes border to travellers from Greater Brisbane

People who have already arrived in Victoria from Greater Brisbane need to get tested and isolate until at least 6:00pm Monday.

The Victorian Government has closed its border to travellers from the Greater Brisbane area.

Anyone who has been there on or after January 2 cannot enter Victoria without an exemption.

The new Greater Brisbane "red zone" includes the Brisbane City Council, Redland City Council, Ipswich City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council and Logan City Council areas.

People who have already arrived in Victoria from the area need to get tested and isolate until at least 6:00pm Monday.

The State Government has also asked Victorians to reconsider any planned travel to Queensland.

The latest directions, which took effect at 11:59pm Friday, were posted on Twitter at 11:16pm and clarified advice issued earlier in the day.

A statement issued earlier on Friday said anyone who was in the Greater Brisbane region should stay put and follow the advice of Queensland health officials.

"Anyone who has been in, visited or travelled through the local government areas of Brisbane City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Redland, Ipswich or Logan city councils since January 2 should not leave those areas until at least Monday," the earlier statement issued at 3:32pm said.

Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said those who have recently arrived in the state may soon get a text message about getting tested and staying home.

Friday's meeting of National Cabinet saw federal, state and territory leaders agree to a Commonwealth declaration of the Greater Brisbane area as a COVID-19 hotspot.

"It is different to a normal definition we'd apply to hotspots, but you've got to change the rules when there is new information and new uncertainties being introduced," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

Just before National Cabinet started, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaczszuk announced Brisbane would go into a three-day lockdown, which was followed by different state and territories declaring the area a hotspot zone.

The Prime Minister also backed the Brisbane lockdown, saying he believed it was "proportionate" given the risk of spread from the UK strain.

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