Victoria records 1,841 local COVID-19 cases as border rules eased with NSW

Victoria has recorded 1841 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths, as the state opens its borders to fully vaccinated people from Sydney without quarantine on arrival.

The health department confirmed the state now has 22,598 active cases.

There were 78,928 tests processed and 38,881 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered at state-run hubs on Tuesday.

The new deaths take the toll from the current outbreak to 175.

From midnight on Tuesday, there are no more red zones in NSW, with greater Sydney now an orange zone.

Travellers from the Greater Sydney region, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong, will still need an orange zone permit to enter Victoria.

But the rules will be different for people who are not fully vaccinated.

They will have to isolate on arrival, get tested within 72 hours, and remain in isolation until they receive a negative result.

The rest of NSW will become a green zone, but travellers still need a permit.

Broken Hill in NSW and Shepparton in Victoria will rejoin the cross-border community area, meaning residents will not need permits to cross the state border.

The state continues to inch closer to its 70 per cent vaccination reopening target, with 68 per cent of people over 16 now having both doses.

Source: sbs.com.au