The Ministry of Health is actively monitoring the situation in Melbourne and remains in close contact with Australian health agencies.
Confirmation of four linked cases of COVID-19 in Melbourne’s northern suburbs was announced today by Victorian Health.
The Ministry is not recommending a pause on the Quarantine Free Travel arrangements with Victoria at this stage.
However, there will be testing and isolation requirements on people who have been in locations of interest in Melbourne, including those who have travelled back to New Zealand in recent days.
The Ministry’s current assessment is that the public health risk is appropriately managed through the actions taken by Victorian health authorities.
In Australia, the 14-day travel restrictions for those who have visited locations of interest means they are ineligible to travel to New Zealand within 14 days from exposure – even with a negative COVID-19 test.
The four community cases identified today have not yet been linked to a previous case in Melbourne reported on 11 May though this remains under investigation.
