Health Alert: Melbourne (Australia), COVID-19 Update

Location: Australia 

Event:  The U.S. Mission to Australia plans to send Alerts once per week unless local conditions warrant immediate messaging.  

Starting September 4, New South Wales (NSW) will extend the border region between NSW and Victoria to 50 km. Border zone residents and workers will still need a border entry permit to enter NSW. Outside the border region, residents returning to NSW from Victoria must enter NSW through the Sydney airport and will be required to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days at their own expense (the fee will be waived until September 11). 

Measures in Australia to limit the spread of COVID-19 vary by state and territory. Please check the individual state and territory websites for further information. State, territory, and local authorities may levy fines on and/or arrest individuals not following physical distancing or other orders. 

Absentee ballots will be on their way in less than a month, but it's not too late to register and request yours.  The deadline to get registered and request your ballot for November 3 using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) depends on your state of residency. Here are a few ways to get prepared:  

• Check your state's specific deadlines.   

• Add election dates and reminders to your calendar. 

• Check to see if your state allows you to send in your FPCA electronically to avoid mail delays. 

• No state has a registration deadline longer than 30 days – so act now! 

If you have already completed a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) in 2020 and requested electronic delivery of your ballot, you will be receiving your blank ballot or instructions for how to access your ballot soon. If you are not sure about the status of your absentee ballot request, you should contact your local election officials in the United States or check the status of your registration via your state’s voter registration verification website. 

It is recommended that ballots for the November 3rd election be mailed back to the United States by October 2, 2020. Voters in Australia or their representatives can drop off absentee ballots at the Embassy and Consulates General for postage-free mailing to the United States. Find more details on times and procedures for dropping off ballots for mailing on our website. 

Actions to Take:  

• Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.  

• For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.  

• Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.  

• Check with your airlines, cruise lines, or travel operators regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions. 

• Have a plan to depart from Australia that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.  

• Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Australia. 

• Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the United States. 

• Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on COVID-19-related fraud. 

• U.S. citizen voters or their representatives can drop off absentee ballots at the Embassy or Consulates for postage-free mailing to the United States; please find details here. 

• U.S. Consulate General, Sydney, Australia 

• U.S. Consulate General, Melbourne, Australia 

• U.S. Consulate General, Perth, Australia 

Level 4 
16 St. Georges Terrace 
Perth, WA  6000 

Telephone: (08) 6144-5100 

Email: PerthACS@state.gov 

Website: https://au.usembassy.gov/ 

• State Department - Consular Affairs: 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 

• Australia Country Information 

• Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts 

• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter 

You have received this message because you have registered with the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).  If you would like to unsubscribe or change your details in STEP, please go to https://step.state.gov/step/.