Victoria tightens border bubble with NSW

Victoria will further tighten border controls with New South Wales as the state continues to battle the Delta variant of COVID-19.

Residents in the Victorian-NSW border bubble will only be able to enter Victoria without a permit for six essential reasons from 11:59pm Tuesday.

They include medical care, compassionate reasons, work, education, playing sport or getting vaccinated.

READ MORE: Victoria records two local cases with state on track to drive Delta down to zero

Health Minister Martin Foley said the step was necessary and keeping the virus out of Victoria.

"We really need to take steps in that border bubble area that keep us all safe," he said.

"We need to limit non-essential movement where it is practical and possible to do so."

Border visitors are not able to travel beyond where their necessary destination.

The government used Albury as an example, stating residents from the area cannot travel to Wangaratta or Melbourne if they can do what they need in Wodonga.

If a border bubble resident crosses the border for a non-essential reason they face a $5452 fine.

The additional rules also apply to Victorian residents travelling into New South Wales, meaning their travel into NSW must be essential if they wish to re-enter Victoria without a permit.

READ MORE: NSW records 207 new local COVID-19 cases, 50 infectious in community

Mr Foley said the changes would cause a strain on people in the effected border towns.

"We know that will have an impact on many border residents but we also know that an outbreak of the Delta variant on our doorstep will have an even more negative impact on our border communities," he said.

The health minister said the decision was made based on advice from the Chief Health Officer "given the deteriorating situation in New South Wales".

"Things in NSW are expected to get worse before they get better, and we want to make sure that our border-bubble arrangements are based on that risk assessment," Mr Foley said.

Victoria recorded two new local coronavirus cases today, both linked to existing infections.